A tale about friendship
by Dis Thrainsdotter
Summary: A group of children are told about their familys friendship with the Folk of Durin. Completed.
1. Chapter 1

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 1?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K+

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is R, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 1, Friends meet and tales are told

One May morning, some years after the Battle of Five Armies, Melian daughter of Edrahil was walking towards the Gates of Erebor. She was the daughter of Edrahil son of Amlash and Morwen daughter of Imlash, and like her mother, she was a healer of both Dale and Erebor. She had come the day before to help a woman in labour. It was the first time the woman gave birth and when her husband understood something was wrong he had sent a messenger to Dale, asking Melian to come quickly. The gate guard laughed when he saw Melian approaching with her pack of medicines and instruments. "I wish you were as quick to come when WE need your aid," he said, and Melian answered

"I do, but most often you go to my mother or sister". But there was no insult either meant or taken in this, which was shown when the gate guard said to the messenger that he hoped that everything would be all right and the messenger agreed with him.

As soon as Melian came to the couple and examined the mother to be, she found out why it had taken so long. "You are expecting twins," she said smiling and after a while, and with a hand from the husband, two strong and healthy boys had entered the world. After they had been washed, clad and fed the two new additions to the population of Erebor rested in the cradles, one of them had been borrowed from a next-door neighbour until the father could go to Dale and buy another one the following day. The happy parents and Melian sat speaking about good names for the boys, when suddenly the father said, "what do you think about Fili and Kili? Do you both think that they would be good names for them?" Melian smiled, even as tears formed in her eyes and she answered, "if they grow up to become like the Fili and Kili I knew, then they will become most valiant". The parents looked at her with surprise in their eyes and the father asked, "did you know Fili and Kili, the sister-sons of Thórin Oakenshield?"

"Only for a short time" Melian answered, "they were very valiant and fiercely loyal to their uncle. I am glad that I made friends with them." By then it was late, and Melian went to a guestroom that Dáin Ironfoot had given her when she started to work as a healer in the Mountain. Both Dáin and king Bard of Dale agreed that it was best if she didn't have to go back to Dale in darkness as one couldn't be sure of who might lie in wait for unsuspecting people.

The following morning Melian had breakfast, and then went to the mother and children to check on them. After finding that both mother and children were well she promised to come the following day. Then she went towards the Gates but found the going slow, as she met many former patients who showed her how injuries had healed. She spoke with each one of them, feeling happy to see that they had recovered so well and finally she had the Gates in sight when she heard running feet behind her and a voice calling out "Melian, wait for us!" Turning she saw that Dáin Ironfoot and Balin were fast approaching and she bowed before them, saying "Balin, Uzbadi".

"There is no need to be formal," Dáin answered and Melian replied that some politeness could be useful at times. No one was surprised to hear the conversation, not even the fact that it was in khuzdul surprised anyone overhearing it. It was common knowledge in Erebor that Morwen, her daughters and granddaughters spoke khuzdul fluently. "I heard that you received a message from king Bard yesterday" Dáin continued and Melian answered

"I did. The Kings message said ´we would like to meet you tomorrow at the Inn, The Inn to be precise."

"Could we go with you?" Balin asked and Melian answered

"By all means, but the first round is on me".

"No, it is on me" Balin answered and Dáin said

"I am quite certain that it is mine".

The three of them went through the Gates and onto the road to Dale, still speaking about who of them had taken the last round the last time they had been to the Inn and who should take the first round this time. Suddenly Melian laughed and said, "Who would have thought in the days when things looked as black as black that we would be walking together like this?"

"Who would have believed that we would" Balin answered, "fortunately our worst fears didn't come true". He then looked at Melian, who had tears in her eyes, and said quietly to her "you still miss him, don't you?" Melian nodded and answered

"I do. I still wake up at times, thinking about what could have happened if I had given him other medicines or treated his injuries differently. But such buts and what-ifs are in vain" she said shrugging. "I told mother afterwards how I had treated him and she said that I couldn't have acted in any other way. The Orcpoison was slowly overcoming his heart. But that is a part of being a healer, it keeps me from becoming overconfident." Melian dried her tears and they continued to Dale.

Even though there were four large Inns in Dale everyone meant one Inn when they said The Inn, the Inn named Thórin Oakenshield. It's sign had a picture of Thórin Oakenshield made by a wandering wood Wright according to the description given by Melian, a description she was encouraged to give as her father feared that she would in her grief do something rash, and the description was so accurate and so lovingly given that the wood Wright said afterwards that he had had the feeling that Thórin stood there, looking at Melian while she described him. This meant that when the sign was unveiled the Dwarves present said that it was a lifelike image of their fallen King.

It didn't take long for the rumour to spread around Dale that there was more to the Inn sign than met the eyes. Customers sometimes swore that he had stood in one pose when they went into the Inn, and in another when they left. Some people had the feeling that they had eyes upon them and when they turned around no one was there but still they heard a voice giving them warnings. The night guards in Dale used to tell about the time when they had arrested two Men who had planned to rob a merchant but the person turning the corner hadn't been the expected merchant but a Dwarf, axe in hand, who had asked them what they were up to. King Bard found it very hard to keep a straight face when he confronted the would-be robbers the following morning. From their description he knew who it was and he simply told them "you have been warned. Next time he sees you doing anything like that he will not be so merciful." Needless to say, the would-be robbers had stopped robbing people and become carpenters instead, which they were far more suited for. But they could never pass the Inn sign without shivering.

As the three companions approached the Inn, they saw a large group of Men standing outside the entrance, another Man was fleeing inside followed by the jeer of the onlookers. As Melian saw one of her brothers in the group, she went to them and asked "Boromir, what is going on?"

"Nothing in particular" Boromir answered, the response from Melian being a snort and a suspicious "nothing?" Boromir then said

"We met a Man from some strange place who was making boasts about his valour. As that couldn't be tolerated, I simply showed him my handless arm and asked ´where were you the day I fought alongside Thórin Oakenshield, his companions and kinsmen? It stopped his boasting." One of the onlookers then said

"It did, particularly when Boromir said that he would have given an arm and a leg if it had meant that Thórin Oakenshield, Fili and Kili had been rescued. He looked even more astonished when we all agreed with him."

"I am sure you did" Dáin answered, looking at Boromir with amusement, "it must have been a shock for him to hear it".

At that moment the Innkeeper came out and said, as he saw the three of them "you are expected in the second room to the left in the corridor. You'll be wanting Ale I doubt not, I will bring it there in a moment." They then went to the second door to the left in the corridor that left the Common Room, knocked and entered. As they had expected, king Bard wasn't alone in the room but king Thranduil and Gandalf joined him. "My Lords" Melian said bowing in Dwarf-fashion as was her habit and Thranduil laughed. "You were not so polite to me the first time we met," he said and Melian answered

"I wasn't," adding to Balin "I was barely polite to the King in those days".

"You were more polite to him than I was when we first met" Balin said, "for I wasn't polite at all". Thranduil smiled when he heard it and said

"It wasn't one of your best days, not one of my best days either". The Innkeeper came in, gave the three latest guests their Ale and then left. A few seconds afterwards, there was a commotion in the corridor, a voice asked the Innkeeper "is mother here?" and Melian said to all of them "what is going on now?"

"The second door to the left" the Innkeeper answered and soon afterwards there was a knock on the door. "Enter" king Bard told the person knocking and the children of Melian entered the room. "You had better introduce yourselves," Melian told them and they did, standing in a row. "Thrór at your service, and Thráin, and Thórin, and Frerin, and Dis, and Fili, and Kili, and Náin, and Fundin" each of them said in turn.

"You named a son after my father?" Balin said, looking very astonished "I am most honoured".

"You speak my thought also," Dáin said, and Melian told them that the names had simply come to her when she has looked at them for the first time. "What did your father-in-law say about it?" Bard asked and Melian said that he had asked her if the Dwarves she named the boys after were worthy of that honour. She had told him that they were indeed and he hadn't said anything further about it.

"But now I would ask you, what on earth or under it is going on?" Melian said, glaring at her children, and Frerin answered "you have spoken at times about the friendship between our family and the Dwarves in general but the Folk of Durin in particular, but you have never told us how the friendship was forged, who did it and so on and further. We would like to know and we are sure that they would aswell" Frerin moved his hand in a circle, indicating all of the persons present "so we think we have you cornered here".

"Do you know what Dwarves do when they are cornered?" Melian asked them and when they said that they didn't know, although their voices showed that they knew, Melian said to them "they fight like mad". Balin then said to her

"You are in no better position to fight than we were in the Mirkwood glade, save that you aren't spider poisoned".

"Spider poisoned?" the children said, looking most astonished and Thranduil told them about the Great Spiders of Mirkwood that had been driven away the year Smaug fell and that it was the hope of the people of Mirkwood that they would stay away. "But we don't know if they will stay away from us" he ended his description and Gandalf agreed with him that no one knows anything about the future.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 2?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K+

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 2, A journey to Iron Hills

"I would like to hear about it" Bard said and Gandalf said

"A bond that can't be broken, even by my fire magic is something I would like to hear about" but Melian still hesitated. Finally Dáin told her "I am sure that if my cousin had been here, he would have said ´if you don't tell them, I will and Melian nodded.

"I am certain that he would," she answered, and looking at her children she said, "you had better sit down, because this is a long tale and parts of it are horrible. I must also ask you not to tell anyone, other than your future children when the time comes, about what you will now hear. Because what I will tell you now I have never told anyone before, the story of what we did in the war our foremother named ´the war of vengeance, the war that made Dáin and Thórin Oakenshield renowned."

"The War of Dwarves and Orcs" king Bard said amazed, "you mean that there were Men involved?"

"Men" Balin said, "they were children when the war started but they grew up soon enough. People grow quickly in wartime." The children looked astonished as their mother began her tale.

"It began with my maternal great-great-great-great-great-grandmother who was named Morwen daughter of Túrin. She married Huor son of Húrin for two reasons, the first reason was that they had loved each other since they were children and the second reason was that she was a skilled healer and Finduilas daughter of Amandil, the mother of Huor, had no daughter to pass her craft and lore to. But when she heard about the love between Huor and Morwen she was relieved, knowing that the village would still have a healer of great skill when she passed away. On the day of their marriage, Húrin asked his son and daughter-in-law to go to either Dale near Erebor or Iron Hills to purchase arms and mail from the Dwarves living there. ´In these places live the Folk of Durin Húrin told them, ´and what they don't know about smithying isn't worth knowing. They discussed where to go and finally decided to go to Iron Hills."

"Why there and not to Dale?" Bard asked, and Melian answered that in her foremother's book the decision was explained in the following manner, "It was the name that made us decide to go to Iron Hills, because we had the feeling that it was where the best Iornore was found". So it was a coincidence that made them go to Iron Hills and consequently it was by coincidence they were rescued from the Dragon. "The Dragon?" the children said shivering, and Melian answered "the Dragon, Smaug the Golden. I saw him the night he attacked Esgaroth and king Bard felled him from the sky. I had never before felt such fear" Melian shuddered at the memory, "and I have only been so afraid once after that. But that will come later so I say no more about it now."

"He was frightening when he came as well" Balin said and there was great fear in his eyes. "But do say on Melian" he added.

"As I was saying," Melian continued her tale; "Huor and Morwen went to Iron Hills with a group of people from the village, one of whom was her sister named Rian. At the time Grór son of Dáin was Lord of Iron Hills, and Morwen describes him in her book as a noble and kindly lord. ´I would follow him anywhere if he asked me, even if the road led through a Dragon's Den she wrote. Her memory of their first meeting was that he had her laughing with his stories about people he had met. Huor and Grór discussed the agreement while Morwen and Rian shared their knowledge with the healers of Iron Hills. One day when Morwen was gathering herbs for medicines she saw groups of Dwarves running towards Iron Hills. She could see that many of them were injured so she called out to them, named herself and offered to help them. They were shaken but when she lay down her dagger as a sign of her peaceful intentions towards them, they dared to come to her. Many of them were scorched and blistered and Morwen asked what had happened to them. They told her that a Dragon had come to their Mountain and taken over it, as well as turning Dale into a heap of rubble. She asked them if they knew what had happened to the Father of their Folk, and they told her that they were unsure of the fate of their Father and his son, his grandchildren however were safe as they had left the Mountain with their friends the same morning. Morwen treated their injuries but she had only small amounts of medicines and pastes with her. She did however have more in the camp they were living in so when her supplies ran out she asked those who hadn't yet been treated to come with her. One of those who had already been treated said that he would stay and tell those who came after which way to go and Morwen said that she would send a friend to him with food and drink. When they came to the camp the villagers were shocked to see them and immediately gave them food and drink. They were also given beds in the tents so they could rest.

Those who had been treated went to Iron Hills and according to Huors recollections their arrival caused a clamour. When the Lord heard what had happened he was very worried for his brother and kin. When he was told that more persons were in the camp, he went there with Huor and found the people being treated and fed. He asked if they knew anything certain about his brother and nephew but got no news and he felt sad, but Morwen told him to wait awhile before he tore his beard for them, as it was likely that they had escaped the Mountain through some other passage.

The Dwarves who came to Iron Hills recovered quickly and the day came when Huor payed for the arms and mail that had been made for them. Grór paid Morwen and Rian for their care for the Dwarves from Erebor, a payment they were loath to accept but finally they did so, having been told that they did deserve it. Morwen was then given a dagger to replace the one she had with her that had been broken. She was most thankful to Grór and promised that it would become an heirloom in her house. She also promised that she would seek for his kin and send word if she heard anything about them. They left for home, feeling most worried and wondering what they could do to help."

Dáin nodded as he heard it. "Grandfather was very worried for his brother and nephew and he had heard nothing about them at the time the people of Huor left. Fortunately he did receive word later that they had made it out of the Mountain and were safe. He was very relieved when he heard it."

Bard said to Melian "the dagger you speak about, is it the one you are wearing?"

"Indeed it is" Melian answered, took the dagger off her belt and handed it to the others. Dáin looked at it and saw clearly his grandfather's handiwork in it. All of them were amazed at the quality of it and how it had been treated with care through the years.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 3?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 3, Searching for Thrór son of Dáin

"The journey back to the village was uneventful, save for one incident that shook all of them even though they were certain would be able to shock them any more. One morning they were going through a forest when they suddenly heard the clang of weapons and Orchowls. Huor sent the riders ahead while the rest of them came with the wagons. ´Whoever is under attack needs our aid he said to them as Orcs are the enemies of all, and it didn't take long for the riders to come to a clearing where a hoard of Orcs had attacked a group of travelling Dwarves who were hard pressed to keep the Orcs at bay. The riders were skilled at firing their arrows from running horses and immediately attacked the Orcs. Between them the two groups made short work of the enemies and although a number of them were injured none was killed, to the great relief of all."

"Orcs, are they truly real?" Thrór asked, and as the others looked at him in amazement he added, "I thought that they simply were something to scare naughty children with".

"They are real" Thranduil answered "horrible creatures made by the great Dark Lord in mockery of Elves. We Elves have always been at war with the Orcs and will be, as long as one Orc is still living." He described the Orcs to the children who gave a glance to Balin and Dáin, who simply nodded in agreement. "When the rest of the group came with the wagons all Orcs lay dead on the ground and while the women treated the wounded under the supervision of Morwen and Rian, the Men and Dwarves piled all Orcs in a heap and burned them. Huor then turned to the chief of the Dwarf group, who named himself as Bivor son of Bavor and asked him about the attacking Orcs. ´They simply came at us in the early morning and took us by surprise. Your aid came none to soon he answered and gratefully accepted Huors offer to go with his people to their village which was only three days journey away.

When they came to the village Húrin looked at the Dwarves in astonishment and asked Huor if some of the people of Iron Hills had come with them. Huor then explained what had happened to his father who shrugged in a 'now I have heard it all'-manner. He then told Bivor that it was a pleasure for him to house them all in the village for as long as they needed to stay. When Bivor asked how they could pay for bed and board, Húrin asked them to teach the children who were interested about smithying, and Bivor and his people agreed to do that. They stayed for one month and when they left they were given many parting gifts and the promise that their people would always be welcome in the village." Gandalf added

"I met them later. I was visiting their city at the time and was speaking with the Father of their Folk about a trading group who were missing, ´they should have come back at least one month ago he said when suddenly a clamour was heard in the passages and the group arrived. Some of them wore garments in their proper colours but in strange weavings. ´What on earth or under it happened to you? We have been worried the Father, named Sarin Elfmallet asked, and Bivor told him that they had been attacked by Orcs but that a group of travelling Men had aided them. They had spent one month in their village, while the injured recovered. Sarin then said ´the people who aided you shall always be welcome here and Bivor answered that the people of the village extended a similar welcome. They showed all in the city the parting gifts they had been given by the children who had been their pupils, and everyone agreed that they had been made with love and fondness."

"Morwen fulfilled her promise to Grór, where ever she went she always sought tidings about any Dwarf groups that had been seen and whenever travelling Elves or Men came to the village they were asked about any Dwarf groups that they might have met on the roads. At times Morwen was quite angered at the Elves she met. ´Elves are strange people. They know a sparrow from a finch one league off but they can't see the differences between two Dwarves, even if they are standing a mere three feet ahead of them she wrote in her account, and there are several references to that notation in the book." The children gave a glance to Thranduil who simply shrugged eloquently. "In spite of all her efforts, she had no tidings about what had happened to the people of Thrór for many years. In the meanwhile she had a number of children, of whom Melian was the second daughter and the fifth child. It was Melian who finally gave her the tidings she had been seeking for so long.

Melian daughter of Huor was a warm-hearted and kind person and it was clear to all who saw her, even in her earliest years, that she had the makings of a great healer. She was treating patients at the early age of ten, and at twelve years she was considered a qualified Healer. And if that wasn´t enough to marvel at, there was her great strength to consider. No child her age was able to even lift the loads she could carry with ease, and also many adults found it hard to handle them. It gave the village great renown but it also arose the envy of a neighbouring chieftain, named Beleg son of Beren but better known among their people as ´the Half dragon. He had long been seeking a way to hurt Morwen because he had also proposed to her, being forced to do so by his father, but she had turned down his advances since she knew of his temper and disposition. He now started to spread rumours among the people that Melian was in fact the eldest child and named Grór or Bivor as the father. The matter finally came to the attention of the Council of Chieftains and Morwen was able to prove that Huor had fathered all her children. ´You aren't only insulting me but the named Dwarves as well, if you think that they would ever force anyone to break their Oaths of Marriage, the Dwarves consider such Oaths to be so sacred that they only marry once in their lives she said to Beleg who was fined for the insults. Melian had never regarded him with any greater kindness, not since she learned what kind of person he was, but this event made her feelings for him even colder.

The following year, one month before the Council of Chieftains was due to take place in the village of Huor; Melian went into the forest around the village to gather herbs for medicines. Huor went with her because he wanted to be able to speak with her about a birthday present he planned to give to Morwen without the youngest children listening. They were good children but they were simply unable to keep a secret, anything they heard was known all over the village in the time it takes to say ´Elf. As Melian gathered the herbs that should be harvested that season, she and her father discussed suitable birthday presents as her skilled hands and eyes meant that she was able to divert part of her attention to that matter.

It was midafternoon when they heard the sound of running feet approaching them. At first they looked worried and both of them drew their weapons, Melian wore ´the dagger of Grór as it was named that she had been given when she started to go out on her own to gather the herbs she needed, but after a while Huor said to her that he could only hear one set of feet and Melian agreed with him so they sheathed their weapons and waited for the runner to approach. They were quite surprised to see a Dwarf coming into the clearing, looking very determined to get to a certain place. Melian called out to him, naming herself and asking him if she could be of any assistance. The Dwarf then halted, as he hadn't seen either her or her father until then, bowed before them and named himself as Fundin son of Farin. As Melian wrote in her book of her life ´He asked me if I was a healer and when I answered that I was he asked me to come with him to another glade not far away. Father and I went with him and came to a glade where a group of Dwarves were gathered. As soon as Fundin came to the others he told them that he had found a healer and named me to them. It was then I saw that one Dwarf lay wrapped in a couple of blankets and as close to a fire as he could possibly get without being in it. I went to him, bowing before him and lay my sheathed dagger at his feet as a token of friendship. With the aid of my father I was able to examine him and found that he had caught pneumonia. As Dwarves rarely become ill, according to what my mother told me, I found it strange that this Dwarf had become ill in the first place.

Father asked me if I thought that the ill Dwarf would be able to walk and I answered that he was unable to do it in his condition, so father said that he would go to the village to get some men and a litter. At that moment a fairly young Dwarf came to us, asking what we intended to do with his father. When my father told him he looked at me with amazement and also with a good deal of doubt, but then the ill Dwarf asked what was the matter and after listening to both his son and me declared that they should go with us. Before father left to organise everything he reminded me that I should consider what I said before I said it, to which I answered that if I had been able to speak politely with the Half dragon then I would also be able to speak politely with the Dwarves. I also advised father that the litter should be set so that the ill Dwarf could sit up on it in order to ease his breathing. Father simply laughed at my answer before he left, leaving me alone among them. "

Thranduil looked at Melian with amazement. "So your forefather left his child alone with a Dwarf group? Wasn't he afraid then?" and Melian answered

"He regarded it as unlikely that the Dwarves would treat her harshly unless she acted haughtily towards them, the reason he reminded her of her manners in the first place. He also remembered that the peoples of Grór and Bivor had treated Morwen and Rian with respect and so was completely calm when he left in order to get to the village, prepare the litter and make sure that the guesthouse was prepared to receive the guests."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 4?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 4, The tale of Beleg the Half dragon

"Melian prepared the medicine the ill Dwarf needed and gave it to him while holding him in a sitting position. He said to her that it taster horribly but Melian answered that medicines are taken because they are needed, not because they taste well. She did give him something to drink in order to take the foul taste away. It was when Melian had given him the medicine and put it back on the bedroll he suddenly looked at her and asked what her name was. She named herself and when she had done so he told her that his name was Thrór son of Dáin. He added ´I am … and then he stopped and said with a gesture of denial ´I used to be the Lord of Erebor but now I am nothing. Melian rose and bowed before him deeper than she had done before and then she said to him ´my Lord, do not take foul names to heart particularly when they are false. But I will now be able to give my mother the tidings she has sought for so long, that you and your son are still among the living. Then his son asked Melian why her mother had searched for them and she told them about the journey her mother and father had made to Iron Hills and that many from Erebor had come there when Smaug had taken their Mountain, how worried the Lord of Iron Hills had been and the promise that her mother had given. She told them about the search for them which had been in vain. Now she had found them and she was happy.

During the time they waited for Huor and the others to come from the village Melian asked them to tell her how it was possible that ´the Lord as she named him in order to prove to him that he was something had become ill in the first place. Thráin told her about how they had come to the neighbouring village where Beleg son of Beren was chieftain and all that had happened. But she was also told about the aid the people of the village and particularly Boromir son of Beleg had given them. He had also given them the advice to go to the village of Huor where they would receive aid. When Melian had heard the whole story she was most angered and said that she would tell her father about what had happened. She also told the tale about Belegs ancestor."

"You mentioned that the chieftain was known as ´the Half dragon" Thranduil said, "What had happened?"

"According to the story that has been passed down a forefather of Beleg had slain a Dragon, and that Dragon had put a curse in his house" Melian answered. "He had said that now and again a son would be born who would be as greedy as the Dragon had been. Fortunately the Dragon didn't have the time to specify which son should suffer such a fate and as a result it was most often one of the younger sons. In Belegs case it was unfortunately the eldest son, so all precautions that could be taken were taken. Beleg was forced to marry a woman who had great strength and have children as quickly as he could, and he wasn't given the chieftainship until his father passed away. He was tolerated because he had driven his brothers, uncles and cousins away from his village with unfair accusations; and at the time this happened his eldest ton Boromir was still unable to take over. So the people of that village simply had to hang on and wait for the day when Boromir would be old enough to become chieftain.

When Huor came with the men and the litter Morwen had come with them. As Melian wanted to show Thrór that he was still Lord of Erebor she introduced him to her parents in a more formal manner than she would usually do. Her mother felt relief when she saw them and she asked Melian what had happened. Melian told her about the Lords illness but when she tried to tell her mother all that had happened, Huor said to them that the forest glade wasn't the best place to speak about such things in. So everyone packed up their things and Melian lifted Thrór in her arms and carried him to the litter. As she put him on the litter, the head end of which had been raised, it had been her intention to go back and retrieve her dagger but she found herself unable to move away so the dagger was brought to her; and Morwen told her that it was best if she went on the litter as well. It was then Melian spotter her brother Boromir. She asked him if he would like to be taught smithying by the people of Thrór and when he said that he would regard it as a great honour she asked him if his friends agreed with him. He answered that he thought so and she sent him to ask them, and at the same time tell their elder brothers to put up the head-end of her bed. Morwen heard it and asked Boromir to tell the cooks that Melian would eat with her patient and Boromir said that he would do that. So he ran back to the village in order to carry out the errands. In the meanwhile the others went to the village together.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 5?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 5, The village of Huor

Balin smiled. "I remember that day clearly. Father was worried when he left us in order to find the village of Huor, and he looked so relieved when he came back with Huor and Melian. To his astonishment neither of them hesitated when he asked them to come with him, they simply did so. The way they treated Thrór was heartening as well, and I simply knew that we had done well to take the young Mans advice. When Morwen and the others came to the glade Melian told her mother about our Fathers symptoms and the medicines she had given him. She confirmed the diagnosis and looked quite amazed. ´I am honoured to meet you, my Lord she said to him and he thanked her for her kind words. Melians words about ´the Half dragon were heard by everyone and as we walked to the village I heard them speak about what Melian had said and what it meant. ´If that darned Half dragon is behind this, then he isn't fit to be a chieftain I heard one of them say and the others agreed with him. When I asked them about the chieftain, they told me that he had been playing tricks on people before; ´there are Men who curse his name and the Elves who live around our country only go to his village when they have to, so although I felt angry at him I knew then that we weren't the only ones that had been treated in that manner, he had treated Men and Elves that way also.

When we reached the village, the gate guards asked who we were and Huor answered ´the Lord of Erebor and some of his people. Is the guesthouse prepared? They confirmed that it was and that a great even meal was being prepared in the Hall of Feasts. When we reached the house of the Chieftain we watched in awe as Melian gently carried our Father into the house. Thráin and Huor went with her and came out again after a while, when they did Thráin smiled and said ´father looked surprised when he told us that Melian had put him in her own bed and I said to him that it was indeed kind of her. When we came to the Hall of Feasts Huor looked around him, wondering where his son was when the boy came to his father and Thráin. To the astonishment of Thráin and the amusement of Huor Boromir asked if he and his friends could be given the privilege to be taught smithying by us. Huor laughed, asking Boromir if it was his idea and he answered that Melian had suggested it. Thráin answered that it was a decision that his father had to take but that he would endorse it and Boromir thanked him for it. The even meal we ate with them was great, and when the cooks came to us asking out pardon for a poor meal prepared in haste we told them that they needn't be worried as it was good enough for a birthday party. After the meal Thráin and father went with Huor, his son Boromir and his father Húrin who had resigned as chieftain but remained as an advisor to Melians room. The rest of us were shown to the guesthouse where we found made beds and fires in the hearths, not to mention well-stocked pantries. Thórin and Frerin went to the chieftains house in order to ask Melian if we could visit our father and the rest of us waited for them to return to us. In the meanwhile we spoke about what we had been told by the villagers and the welcome we had been given."

Melian continued her story. "According to Melians account Thrór was amazed to find that Melian took him to her room and put him in her own bed. The head end of it had been raised and Thrór leaned against it, asking Melian where she would sleep and she answered that she had a mattress by the window she could lay down on. They ate the even meal together and afterwards Húrin, Huor and Boromir came in together with Thráin and Fundin. Boromir asked Thrór for the privilege to be taught by his people and when Huor told him that the children of the village would regard it as an honour to learn from the Folk of Durin, the request was granted. Then Huor asked Melian to tell them what had happened and Melian did so. When she had finished Huor said that he would go to that village the following day and asked Thráin to go with him, along with any of their people who were willing to go with them. Thrór gave Fundin a glance and he said that he thought that the matter could be left in the competent hands of Thráin. Then Melian said to them ´tell that dratted Beleg that I intend to take the matter to the Council of Chieftains. Húrin reminded her that taking matters to the Council is a serious thing but Melian answered that it was a serious situation. It was because of Belegs actions that Thrór was in the condition he was and if that wasn't a serious situation she didn't know what that was. Melians eyes flashed as she said it, and Húrin answered that had eyes been daggers and Beleg present there would have been a body on the floor and their people would have been rid of a problem.

At that moment there was a knock on the door and Morwen entered the room in order to give Melian a chance to go aside and get some rest. So Melian went to the outhouse and on her way back found Thórin and Frerin in the corridor, she asked them to come with her into the room and when they entered they saw that their grandfather lay, or rather sat, in a good bed. Melian asked them why they had come and they answered ´is it possible for us to visit? Melian answered that it was, limiting the number of people who could visit at the same time to four but said that they could come whenever they wanted. She then asked her mother to wake her after an hour and went to sleep on the mattress. She later learned that Morwen had confirmed what Melian had told them about her search for them.

When Thórin had waked Melian she took over the post at Thrórs side and stayed with him all night. He slept most of the time but when he was awake they spoke about what had happened. He told her about the Dragon and how he and his son had kept Smaug busy so as many as possible could get away. He also told her about that had happened to them afterwards; how he and Thráin had found Thórin, his siblings and his friends; how they had met others and how they had gone up and down the lands together. It was then Melian understood that Beleg hadn't been the only one to treat them badly; others had done so as well. That night a friendship was born between them and by daybreak they were on first name terms with each other.

Melian wrote later in her book ´it was the time I spent alone with Thrór that determined how my life would be. I gave my friendship to him and his Folk and as a token of that friendship, I gave him a signet ring with the symbol of our village. In return he gave me the signet ring wearing the emblems of Durin that he had been able to keep in his possession. I promised myself that I would give him a new one so he would still have the seal of his house. I also promised him that if he or his people ever needed my aid all he would need to do was to send for me and I would come. As I see it, Thrór is a person whom I love as a grandfather. I have been able to speak with him about things that I have been unable to tell either father or grandfather, and for that reason I am willing to defend him in front of anyone who scorns him or his people, no matter who they might be. I have already told the Half dragon what I think about his acts and I will again if that is needed.

The following morning Huor and Thráin visited them before they left to go to Belegs village and Huor asked Melian if she stood by the decision she had made the previous evening, when Melian answered that she did Huor nodded. There was a young Dwarf with them whom Thráin introduced to Melian as his daughter Dis and she asked Melian to be given a way to help her. Melian pondered the matter and finally asked Dis to go with her sister Emeldir and gather the herbs that were needed for various medicines, ´I was to go out and do that but as you know I have my hands full at the moment, so I would be grateful if you could help me with that. Then both Huor and Thráin promised Thrór that they would make the Half dragon pay for what he had done to them and then they left the room, went to the awaiting mounts chosen according to rider and left the village."

"Had I met that dratted Man I would have given him a piece of my mind" Fundin said to them, and Bard said in agreement "I would have fined him at the very least. Even if he had the Dragon curse upon him, he was still responsible for the way he acted". Thranduil nodded and said, "it was a bad act but it brought good things with it. The people of Thrór won the friendship of the people of the village and I don't think the Half dragon had expected that to happen."

"He hadn't" Melian answered and continued with the story.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 6?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 6, The journey to the village of Beleg

"During the days that followed" Melian said, "Melian was almost constantly at Thrórs side, she only left him when she needed to relieve herself and get some sleep and when she did her mother Morwen and her sister Emeldir took over. There were also visitors at his side and they would speak with Thrór and Melian about what happened in the village."

"Father took over as Dwarf in Charge while Thráin was away with Huor," Balin said "and was astonished to find a large number of children waiting to learn from us, both boys and girls and before long each of our smiths had three or four pupils. The first day the teachers spoke with the children to learn what they knew about the craft, but the following days the teachers and pupils spent all time between dawn and dusk in the smithies except when their mothers were able to convince them to get something to eat. Father would smile when he spoke about how eagerly his pupils listened to every word he said."

"Five days later" Melian said "in the afternoon Melian and Thrór spoke with Thórin, Frerin and Dis about what was going on in the village when there was a knock on the door and Boromir bursted into the room. He said that the gate guards had sent word that Huor and Thráin were on their way to the village, and they were singing as they went. Melian smiled and said that it meant that their errand had gone well. Before long they could hear footsteps in the corridor, voices singing and there was knocking on the door. As it sounded like someone knocking with an elbow Melian asked her brother to open the door for them, when Boromir opened the door Huor and Thráin came in with moneybags in their arms, putting them on the side table. When Thrór asked what it was Thráin answered ´the part of our pay that the Half dragon tried to keep from us as well as the same amount as the one we were promised as compensation for your illness. Thrór looked at them in amazement and said that it meant he could pay Melian for her care but Huor told him ´you need not worry about that, the Half dragon has paid for that as well and produced a small bag of money which he gave to Melian. She checked it and found that it was filled with coins. When Melian looked at the coins in a baffled manner Thrór offered to help her check them, and when she accepted each of them took a coin at random and bit on it. They were proven to be gold coins and Melian looked in amazement at her father, asking him why she had been given that much. Huor told her that about half most probably was meant as a bribe to insure that she wouldn't take the matter to the council. ´He thinks so? He is mistaken Melian answered, took as much of the money that fitted in her cupped hands and tried to give it to Thrór saying ´you and your people have more need of this but Thrór declined the offer, saying to her that she was worthy of it all and finally she accepted it. She put all the money back in the bag and put the bag into her chest that stood at the foot of her bed.

When that was done Huor and Thráin told them about their journey to the village of Beleg, how they had been received with joy by the people of the village and by Boromir son of Beleg ´he was worried about you father, and when I told him about your illness he was sad. But when I told him that Melian cares for you he said that you will be well soon, Melian is a great healer as well as kind-hearted. Beleg, the chieftain, was haughty and tried to ignite Thráins temper but as Thráin had been warned he didn't take the bait and Huor did most of the talking. They had allowed Beleg to rant for a while and then Huor had asked if he could see the spears and shields that the people of Thrór had made. Beleg agreed to it and when Huor had looked at them he declared them to be flawless, and said to the Half dragon that he should pay what he still owed Thrórs people. ´And what do you do if I don't? Beleg answered and Huor said calmly that they could go to his mother and grandmother, telling them that Thrór had fallen ill and also that Melian would take the matter to the council. ´She can't do that, she is too young Beleg said but Huor reminded him that she would be speaking as a Healer and then her age didn't matter. It was then he yielded and gave them not only the remainder of their pay but also recompense to Thrór for his illness. When Thráin said that it meant that his father could pay Melian Beleg had given a moneybag to Huor, saying that Thrór didn't need to do that.

Suddenly someone came into the room and a voice said ´I didn't know we had visitors, my dear and when they turned they saw Eilinel daughter of Aradan, Belegs wife. Beleg then said that they had concluded some business and Eilinel then asked her husband why he hadn't invited the guests to a meal. ´Of course Beleg answered and invited them to the midday meal which they accepted. Beleg didn't stay long and when he left Eilinel and Boromir were able to ask them about what had happened. When they left their packs had been filled with food and all the people told them would be more welcome after Boromir had taken over. The return journey had taken more time as the horses had been more heavily laden but it had been a good journey and now they were back with good news."

Bard smiled as he heard it. "I would have liked to see it, it must have been a sight to see the Half dragon quake and yield. But I hope that he wasn't let off the hook" he said and Melian answered, "he wasn't. Melian still fumed at the fact that the work of Thrórs people had been maligned in that manner and she was also angry at the fact that Beleg thought that he would be able to bribe her. She became even more determined to show him that she wasn't to be taken lightly and at the Council she proved it to him."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 7?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 7, The Council of Chieftains

"Thrór had been seriously ill when he came under Melians care and he was also quite old in dwarven reckoning, so it took some time for him to recover. But with the aid of Melian who gave him medicines, food and drink, and also rest he was able to beat the illness. When he had recovered he started to speak about leaving but the people of Huor pleaded with him to stay. They said that they thought it fair that he should be there and see the Half dragon get his due, Thráin agreed with them and also said that they had no hurry going anywhere and therefore could stay a little while longer where they were welcome. Finally Huor said to him ´I have sent word to the other Chieftains that they need to bring tents as the guesthouse is occupied. Surely you don't want me to be seen as a liar by my people and after thinking about the matter Thrór finally said that they would stay a while longer. The children of the village cheered, as it meant they would have more time to make parting gifts for all of them. It wasn't until later that Huor remembered that he had heard Melian say something in a soft voice to Thrór before he made his final decision."

"The Council of Chieftains" Thranduil said, "what is that?"

"A yearly gathering of the village chieftains of our mother people" Melian answered. "It is the forum where arguments between villages are settled and they also decide on how to solve matters that are too serious for one chieftain to handle alone, where people can ask for advice on difficult matters and also where matters regarding the whole people are discussed. It is held in a different village each year, according to a rotation that enables each village to have the honour of hosting it and also means that the village has the time to repair buildings after the Council has taken place.

So Beleg was punished in three ways. First of all, he wasn't greeted with the usual warmth but rather received barely polite greetings while his family and advisors were warmly welcomed. Melian wrote in her book ´when Beleg and his group came to the village, Beleg fumed at the fact that the people of Thrór lived with us but as they were under father's protection there was nothing he could do about it. He also saw that everyone listened to what our guests had to say and gave him cold glances, so he understood that he wasn't exactly the most loved person in the village.

The second punishment came as the Council opened; the eldest chieftain named Baran son of Amlash residing as the Head Chieftain. After he has declared the Council opened he asked if anyone wanted advice on a difficult matter and Melian rose, answering that she needed such an advice. Beleg was furious when he realised that his attempt at bribing Melian had failed. ´And your name is? Baran asked according to protocol and Melian answered ´Melian daughter of Huor, I need an advice about a matter concerning Beleg son of Beren. Huor and Beleg backed off, marking the fact that they couldn't take part in the desitionmaking, and Baran asked Melian to tell them what she needed advice about. She told them about how she and her father had been approached by Fundin son of Farin in the forest around the village and gone with him to a nearby glade where his people was, that she had found Thrór son of Dáin who was ill and brought him, and his people, to the village. She also told them about how Beleg had treated the people of Thrór while they were in his village and that Beleg had thrown them out into a downpour of such magnitude that his own gate guards, according to what Thráin had told her, had declared that they wouldn't even throw out an Orc in such weather and that this had been the reason for Thrórs illness. ´I need to know what I am to do if this should happen again Melian ended her story and one of the advisors who were listening commented ´if? It is more a question of _when_.

Baran then said ´you have mentioned Thrór son of Dáin, who is he? Thrór then rose, went to Melians side and answered ´I am Thrór son of Dáin and Baran asked if he could confirm what Melian had told them, which he could do with the aid of Thráin and Fundin. Baran then asked if anyone of them had any monetary claims on Beleg, and both Thrór and Melian declared themselves as fully paid. The chieftains who were to make the decision left the area and after discussing the matter for a short while they came back and Baran said to Thrór and Melian ´each of you have been paid, and you Thrór have been given recompense for your illness so none of you have any further claims on him. None the less damage has been done and as a result illness has been caused. Therefore he turned to Beren and looked coldly at him ´you are to be punished in the following manner. You are to give up your seat at the Council to your son Boromir and are forbidden to enter the Council area for the remainder of the Council. The session of the Council was due to take place in your village next year, but it will be held in this village while you personally must cover the expenses for it. Should you act in this manner one more time you will be ousted from your office as Chieftain. This is your last chance to prove that you have some wits; I suggest that you use it well. He also said to Melian that if anyone fell ill as a result of such treatment by Beleg she was to demand the same payment for each of them as she had been given for the treatment of Thrór. ´He will not pay it Thrór said quietly to Melian who answered in a similar manner ´the point is to make sure that he will not treat anyone as he treated you and your people.

So Beleg had to give his seat at the Counciltable to his son Boromir and leave the Council area. It was then he was given the third part of his punishment, because while he did so he murmured that he didn't understand why the chief of a small Dwarf group merited such treatment. Melian caught his mutterings and answered ´because he isn't the chief of a small Dwarf group. He is Thrór son of Dáin, Lord of Erebor and Durin´s Heir, the Father (the Royal title among Dwarves) of the Folk of Durin, which means that he has a sizable host at his beck and call. I think you remember the old tales well enough to know what happens to those who infuriate a Dwarf lord. Apparently Beleg did remember, because his face lost all colour and he shivered as he went from the area. When Beleg was out of earshot, Baran asked Thrór if he would have acted in that manner and Thrór answered ´I wouldn't do that, because the people of the village and Belegs family treated us kindly and gave us as much aid as they could but Baran thought that it might be well if Beleg thought that he had narrowly escaped being slain with axes by the Folk of Durin. In the meanwhile Boromir son of Beren was welcomed at the council table and promised that he would be aided in the decisions that needed to be made."

"What would have happened to Beleg, had he been ousted?" Bard asked and Melian answered

"He would have had to leave the village, as he was hated by everyone. He wouldn't have been able to go to any of the other villages in the country either, and the Elves living around the country wouldn't only have kept him out of their countries but sent the word around to all elven realms that he wasn't to be welcomed anywhere. He would have had to go to a faraway mannish Realm and even there he wouldn't have been able to stay for long. He knew this and therefore he was frightened when he left the Council, and soon after the village of Huor. The following year he sent his son to speak in his place when the council convened in the village of Huor and he was never seen there any more.

In the meanwhile the Council continued and everyone agreed that it became easier with the Half dragon absent. All the matters that needed to be dealt with were dealt with swiftly, as the Half dragon had been using every chance to procrastinate and rant about everything except the matter at hand making every debate take at least twice the time that would otherwise have been needed. This meant that there was ample time for feasts and merrymaking in the evenings. One of these evenings Baran said to Melian and Thrór ´when you stood before us telling what had happened, it looked as if you were to marry each other. Everyone who heard it laughed and Melian said that she would marry Thrór if he asked her but he answered that he had already been married and could take no further wife. But he was honoured that Melian could consider marrying him and he thanked her for it.

When the Council ended every Chieftain told Thrór that he and his Folk had a welcome in the villages of the people and that they would be regarded as honoured guests. Thrór thanked them for it and said that he thought that he would have many errands in the area. Boromir told him that when he took over as chieftain he would never treat anyone, regardless of kindred, in the manner that his father had done and he asked Aüle to slay him, should he forget his promise."

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 8?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 8, The second journey to Iron Hills

"The people of Thrór stayed three months in the village of Huor and when they finally left the people of the village promised Thrór that should he and his Folk ever need their aid all he would have to do was to send for them and they would come. Huor also told them ´next time you come here don't hesitate to knock. There is always a welcome for you. The children who had been taught smithying gave each of them a number of parting gifts, and Melian gave Thrór a signet ring with the emblems of Durin that she had asked her brother Boromir to make in order to replace the ring she had been given by Thrór as a sign of friendship. The children had learned much about smithying and in the years that followed continued to increase in knowledge so that their craft became renowned in the region and even the Elves came to the village to purchase the jewels that they made."

Balin smiled at the memory. "We found it hard to leave the village, for the first time in years we had been among people who made us feel as kin rather than as guests. The children hugged us and told us that they would keep practicing what we had taught them, and we said to them that we would come back to see how they were doing. But the most important change was that Thrór had taken heart again and would never again allow his spirit to be weighed down by foul names given to him." He took off a silver and gold chain that he had been given by Boromir son of Huor and passed it around the group. It had a floral design and runes in gold said ´Balin son of Fundin. Even Thranduil looked at the chain in awe and asked Balin

"how old was the son of Huor when he made this?" Balin answered

"He was eleven years old at the time and he also made similar chains to my brother and father." Boromir put the chain back on and Thranduil said

"Small wonder that I have received gifts from kin in that area who have said that they purchased them in ´the village of Huor Dwarf friend as they named it".

"A few days after the people of Thrór left the village" Melian continued "Huor and Morwen went to Iron Hills along with a group that included Melian and Boromir. Huor needed to make some additional purchases and Morwen went in order to keep the promise that she had given Grór, to tell him that she had met his brother and nephew. The journey to Iron Hills went well and soon they made camp at the same place where the camp had been the last time. As they entered Iron Hills Huor told Melian to go by his side. When Melian asked her father why she should take her mothers place Huor answered that he had a purpose with it. They entered the Great Hall and came before Grór, and Huor greeted him ´hail Grór son of Dáin Lord of Iron Hills, I have returned and Grór answered ´indeed you have. But who is the woman at your side? Huor said to him ´this is my daughter Melian who has held the Father of your Folk in her arms. Grór looked at her in amazement and asked her to tell them what had happened. Melian told him about how she had met the people of Thrór. While she told her story everyone was most angred at the Half dragon but they cheered when they heard that the Council had punished him.

When Melian had finished the story a young Dwarf came running into the Hall. Morwen only caught her own name in what he said but Melian asked him a few questions and the answers he gave made her look worried. Morwen asked Melian what had happened and Melian answered this is Hepte, his father Fjalar has fallen down a flight of steps and broken his left calf. He needs aid. Melian was about to rise and go when Morwen said to her ´I will go, you have some explanations to give. Melian could have bitten her tongue off when she realised what she had done and then she turned to Gror and told him ´two days after father and Thráin had returned from the village of Beleg, Thrór asked me if I would accept a bag of silver as payment from him, but I replied that I was already fully paid. I also told him that no amount of silver, gold or jewels could be more valuable than the friendship he had given me. Then he asked me if I would like to learn khuzdul and as I have always been eager to learn new things I accepted the offer. I had the feeling that Thrór felt that I wasn't properly paid by him and that he needed to give me something so he taught me your tongue on the promise that I wouldn't tell anyone about it. I don't know what he would have said if he had been here but Grór answered that he was sure his brother would regard her as simply willing to aid a person in need of it. ´Now I understand something that seemed strange at the time Huor said ´I thought I heard you say something to Thrór as he was making his mind up whether to stay with us a while longer or not. Melian answered ´I asked him to please stay with us and repeated the message in khuzdul. In the meanwhile Morwen returned to the Hall in the company of Fjalar, whose leg had been mended. He asked Melian how she had been able to calm his son down and when she told him he looked at him in amasement."

Dáin smiled at the memory. "I don't think I had ever seen my grandfather look so flustered before. He said laughing that we had better not be speaking any secrets in her hearing but it was clear to us there was great friendship between Melian and our Father. Melian would have been able to go with a group of our people as she wasn't much taller than us at the time, and only her more slender build would have given her away. That evening my grandfather held a feast in order to welcome the people of Huor and everyone wanted to speak with Melian. During their stay Melian and Morwen was with our leaches and they compared notes on how to treat illnesses and injuries."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 9?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 9, Dreadful tidings

Gandalf took a sip from his cup and said to Melian "your foremother was given a great gift that is rarely given to anyone". Melian answered

"She wrote in her book that she regarded it as one of the most cherished gifts she had ever received. Morwen wrote in her book ´that day I found out what Melian and Thrór had done together in the evenings, he was teaching her their language. It was quite amusing to see her sitting with old Dwarves, listening to their tales. My husband looked astonished when he saw it and commented that it was indeed a good thing that we had brought her with us.´

The purchases were soon made and they returned to their village. Melian thought that she wouldn't hear from Thrór in some time but that wasn't so. When she did hear from him the tidings were most dreadful.

One night, about two years after they had returned from Iron Hills, Melian woke up from a troubled sleep. In her dream she had stood in a valley when someone approached her. To her shock she saw that it was Thrór and he had been tormented. He told her that he had been taken captive and tormented by Orcs, and that their chief named Azog had killed him. She promised that she would avenge him and was given a message that she was to give Nar, his friend, who had been with him. That evening at the village meeting Melian told everyone about the dream and the message she had received. The people of Huor listened to Malian's tale and everyone wept. Huor said that for once he regretted shaving regularly because if he had had a beard he would have been able to tear it. He had no doubt that it had truly happened and was sure that they would be reached by a message soon. The children said that when the messenger came they would go with him and do all they could to help. The people of the village also decided to make a memorial to Thrór that they would put in the graveyard and after the decision had been made Melian sang a dirge about Thrór. Melian had also told them that is was unlikely that all of them would return ´but we have to go in order to get vengeance for our friend´ and everyone agreed about it.

The children of the village were angry and had sworn that if they were able to they would lay their hands on the Orc-chieftain Azog and hand him over to the Folk of Durin so that he could be punished in a befitting manner. In the meanwhile they made arms and mail, and Melian and Emeldir prepared medicines so they would be ready when the summons came. The preparations were almost completed when a young Dwarf riding on a pony approached the gates of the village and was allowed to enter immediately. It was Thórin son of Thráin and he was amazed when he found out that he was expected. He was met by Boromir at the house of the Chieftain and offered a seat at their table so he could have a meal.

That evening everyone in the village came to the Hall of Feasts as it was the only house in the village that was large enough and listened to the message that Thórin had brought them. He told them that after they had left they had gone to different countries and finally had come to Dunland. They were staying in one of the villages there when one of the Dunlendings had spoken scornfully about Thrór and his people. The others in the village had immediately rebuked the Man and forced him to ask Thrórs pardon, but the damage had already been done. A few days later Thrór had spoken privately with Thráin and his father had looked worried when they returned. One thing that had worried his father was that he had been given the signet ring that had been given by Melian and then his grandfather had left the village with Nar, a friend of his. One day Thórin had been in the forge with his father and brother when there was a great tumult in the village and one of the girls had come in, telling them that Nar had returned alone and looked as if he had seen a ghost. He was in the house of the village healer and they were to come there. So they followed the young girl to the house and found Nar sitting on a chair and weeping. It was clear that something horrible had happened and Thráin asked Nar to tell him what it was. Nar told them that they had gone to the valley of Azanulbizar through the Redhorn Gate and had found the Gates of Khazad-Dûm open. Thrór hadn't listened to him but entered the Gates and Nar had waited in hiding. He waited many days and then he had heard shouts and braying horns, and seen a body flung out. He had approached when someone had told him that he was needed as a messenger and so he had walked to Thrórs body. His head had been severed and lay face downward. Nar had listened to Orcs laughing and the same voice had told him that this was what would happen to all of them if they tried to get inside and that the name of ´the Master was written on his head. ´So I turned his head around´ Nar said ´and saw the name Azog written on his forehead in dwarf runes. I tried to pick up his head but I was told to drop it and Azog threw this bag of money on me.´ He had shown them the bag with a few coins of little worth. ´I had to leave him there and when I had come to a patch of forest I stopped to catch my breath and then I heard a strange sound. I turned around and then I saw a group of Orcs who were cutting up our Father's body and flinging the pieces to the Crows.´ Nar had gone down to the Gap of Rohan and then to Dunland in order to tell them what had happened.

When Thórin had finished his tale Melian asked him if Nar had said anything about marks of torment, and Thórin answered that there had been whip marks and marks of hot objects that had been held against Thrórs body. Thórin then told them that his father had torn his beard and wept as had all of them, and then he sat silent for seven days. Then he had sent messengers to all the places where their Folk lived, saying ´this can't be born. Then he had looked at Thórin and Frerin, asking them if they thought that the people of Huor would aid them. Thórin had answered that he was sure of it and Thráin had told him to go there to tell the people of Huor what had happened and ask for their aid. Huor asked Melian if her dream had been confirmed and Melian answered that it was. Then everyone made the decision that the children were to go with Thórin in order to aid the host and make sure that the Orcs didn't get away with it.

The following morning all that were to leave gathered at the Chieftain's house and all of them promised that they wouldn't go back until Azog had paid for what he had done, no matter how far they had to go to find him. Thórin and the host from the village then went to the village in Dunland where the host gathered. Before they left Thórin was shown the memorial made to his grandfather and thanked Huor for it."

Balin nodded. "I had never before seen my father weep like that, not even when Smaug had taken our home from us. We listened to Nar´s tale and when he had finished we knew that we had to fight the Orcs. During the days when Thráin sat silent we spoke about what had happened and one thing came back in our tales, time and again someone would speak about the day when our Father lay in Melian´s arms. When Thórin told us he would go to the village of Huor we were glad that they would come to our aid. When Thórin returned with the children who had promised to come they told us that they were happy to see us, but they were sad as well because of the situation that had caused the meeting."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 10?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 10, The host gathers

"The children met Thráin" Balin said "who told them that they were welcome. ´I am happy to see you and your aid will be welcome to all of us´ he said. Then the children listened to Nar´s tale and Melian surprised us with the questions she asked. When Nar had answered them Melian told us about the dream she had had and also told us that she had a message to Nar and she astonished us by giving it in our own language. Then Melian said to all of us that Thrór had been sorry, that he should have listened to Nar because then he would have entered more warily. But he hadn't and for that reason things had become horrible.

After Melian had given Nar the message and embraced him Thráin asked Melian how it was possible that she spoke our language and Melian told him. Then Thráin said that now he understood why Melian sometimes during the later half of our stay turned away from us in order to hide a smile at a joke that someone told. She had understood what was said but hadn't wanted to show it. Still she hadn't been able to hide it completely. He also said that he knew that the people of Huor would aid us in the search for Azog, and Boromir replied that the Orc would rue the day he killed their friend.

The Dunlendings were told about what had happened and they were very angry with the Man who they thought had caused Thrórs death with his words. They immediately took the Man and asked Thráin if they should put him to death. He said to them that he hadn't killed Thrór and the others said to him that he hadn't done the killing but that his words had caused Thrór to go to Khazad-Dûm in the first place. But Thráin said to them that it wouldn't bring his father back and finally the Man was fined for what he had said. He was also forced to pay ware guild to Thráin since he was the cause for Thrórs death."

Dáin said, "when the messenger came to Iron Hills and told us what had happened we all wept and tore our beards. My grandfather said that our host was to prepare as quick as may be and go with the messenger to Dunland where the host gathered. Grandfather wanted to lead the host but he was persuaded to stay and father led the host in his place. As we left Iron Hills father said that one of the few good things to come out of it was that we would meet Melian and Boromir again, as they would no doubt be there as well."

Melian said "our foremother Melian wrote in her book that the messengers that were sent also passed places where parts of other Folks lived and told them as well what had happened. As a result of this companies of other Folks supplemented the host of the Folk of Durin because they were infuriated when they were told what had happened to the Heir of the eldest of the Fathers. As the host assembled the chiefs of them asked Thráin about the reasons for the people of Huor to be there and Thráin answered that they were there because he had sent for them and that they had come to help. Thráin said to Melian and Boromir that he knew that they would be willing to fight alongside them but that he thought that they would be of more service as scouts and finders of the emergency exits the Orcs were known to use, and also as healers. Everyone in the Army swore that they would get Azog and make him pay for what he had done. ´One of the things that we did during the time that the Army assembled´ Melian wrote ´was to get to know at least the chiefs of the groups and we came to an agreement about our tasks, that we would be scouting the area around the Orcdens for the hidden exits and also to treat the wounded in the battles to come. We were going after Azog and we would get him no matter what the cost to ourselves would be´."

Dáin nodded. "When we came to the village in Dunland we were happy to meet Melian and Boromir there. Father told them ´father sends his greetings, he would have come here but we were able to make him stay in Iron Hills´. The chiefs of the other Folks looked surprised at us when we embraced the people of Huor and asked us if we knew them. Father answered ´we know them well and they will help us´. Melian and Boromir were present when we spoke about the tactics to use and they would at times come with suggestions. Finally the Army was assembled, all the decisions made that could be made before the battles and we went to the head of the Misty Mountains in order to attack the Orcs.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 11?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 11, Attacking the Orcdens

The children wept when they heard about Thrórs death and what the Orcs had done to his body, and their hands reached for their chins in order to tear their nonexistent beards. Balin, Dáin, Bard and Gandalf smiled when they saw it and Balin said to them "you have to grow a beard before you can tear it". Thrór said to them

"That was horrible, my namesake didn't deserve that fate. In fact, no one does." Gandalf looked at him and said,

"it is true that no one deserve to be tormented and killed by Orcs, but it is a sad fact that many have faced such ends". He then looked at Melian and asked her why her foremother hadn't mentioned to anyone that she had taken part in the War. Melian answered,

"our foremother wrote in her book ´it was a war for vengeance, and all such wars have a tendency to become nasty. This was no exception and I have done deeds about which I can only say that I did them. I am not proud of them but I was very angry at the time. I am quite certain that she must have been fierce and frightening at times." Both Balin and Dáin nodded agreeingly.

"But then you must remember" Balin added "that her friend had been murdered by the horrible Azog, she wanted to lay her hands on the Orc and nothing would stop her from getting him." Bard commented

"I think that you have that inside of you as well, if any such creatures were to threaten your friends they would get more than they bargained for" and the others agreed with him.

"In any case" Melian said "I am sure that even though every member of the Army had prepared as much as possible, no one was quite prepared for what lay in store for them. Melian wrote ´I had listened with the others in our village to the tales about Orcs told by wandering Elves and Men, and while the Army assembled and prepared I also listened to the tales that the Dwarves could tell. I thought that I knew everything there was to know about them. It didn't take long for me to find out that I still had much to learn about them, and when I did I found out that they were even more horrible than I could possibly imagine. It was when the Army was making for the first Orcden, the capital Gundabad north of the Misty Mountains. The people of Huor were ahead of the main host, divided into groups to be able to find a way for the Army to approach the Mountain and find the exits. Boromir and his group had reached some pits not far from the Mountain when they heard a voice calling up from one of them. None of them understood what was said but Boromir answered ´Boromir at your service´. To his surprise the voice repeated the same words and Boromir said to his companions ´I don't understand but I think Melian does´ so he shouted to Melian ´come over here, quickly´ and Melian came to him with her group, asking what was the matter. ´Someone is down there´ Boromir answered and the voice was heard the third time. Melian answered, asking a few questions and the answers worried her. She turned to Boromir and asked him to throw down a rope.

Not long after there were three tugs on the rope and the members of Boromir´s group hauled up a thin and worn Dwarf named Lîm Goldplate who was younger than he looked. Melian and Boromir aided him to a smooth stone that they padded with a blanket so he could sit on it. When he sat there, leaning against a tree trunk, they gave him some food and drink. He was then able to tell them that he was one of ten who had been put into that pit four days earlier. They had been able to drink the water that gathered in puddles on the bottom but they hadn't eaten anything. Melian decided to go down there in order to get them out and before she went she told the others that they had to be careful with the amounts of food and drink given ´they have had nothing to eat for four days and little enough for a long time I wager´. She repeated it in khuzdul because she wasn't sure of Lîm´s knowledge of westron before she tied the rope around her waist; put her pack with food, drink and medicines on her back and was sent down into the pit.

As she descended into the pit she saw the remaining nine Dwarves laying on the bottom of it, unable to move they simply looked at her. When she came down she bowed before them, naming herself and gave each of them some food and drink. Each of them named himself and started to tell her what had happened to them but Melian told them that the tale was best told after they had left the pit. She offered their chief named Hepte to go up first, but he said to her that he couldn't leave his people behind so he was instead the last to leave.

Boromir and the others were horrified to see the condition that the Dwarves who came up from the pit were in. Boromir´s and Melian´s groups made makeshift litters for the Dwarves using branches and blankets. According to Melians instructions they were given some food and drink before they were put on the litters, wrapped into the spare cloaks of some of the members of the groups. While this happened the main host caught up with them and looked shocked as they saw their kin. When Melian came up as the last with Hepte in her arms, Thráin said to her in khuzdul ´you seem to have made carrying Dwarf lords a habit´ and Melian answered ´it seems like that. This is Hepte son of Nale, he is even more worn than your father was but not as hot´. When he saw Thráin standing with his sons he suddenly wept. Melian asked him what was the matter and it was then she understood what had happened. Hepte told her that his group had consisted of thirty in all and his two sons had been with him, but the group had been divided into three parts. He had been put in one of the parts and each of his sons in each of the two other parts and then they had been separated. He had later been told, or half told rather, that everyone in the other parts had been killed. Melian asked him if he really believed it, as she didn't think it would be beneath the Orcs to lie to their captives and Hepte answered that he hadn't entirely believed it but was unable to prove that it was a lie. Melian translated what was said into westron and everyone gasped when they understood what had happened. Boromir said to his and Melian´s group's ´we have to find them´ and then he said to Hepte ´don't worry, we'll find your sons and kin´. A third group sent a messenger to tell them that a safe place for a camp had been found and the rescued Dwarves were brought to it. Melian asked Hepte if he wanted to go with his people but he answered that he was too worried to remain in the camp and Melian carried him as they searched for the others.

Not long after the combined groups with Melian and Boromir found the second Dwarf group. Hepte who was wrapped in Melian´s spare cloak was placed on the ground leaning against a tree before Melian went down a second time. After the others had been sent up Melian emerged from the pit with the last of them in her arms and Hepte looked at the Dwarf unable to believe his eyes. ´Veig´ he called out and was answered with ´father, it can't be real´ as the young Dwarf was as astonished as his father. ´They told me that you and my brother were dead´ he continued and he wept as he touched his father's face for the first time in months. Veig and his group were then carried to the camp and the search continued until finally the third part with Hepte´s younger son Gandalv had been found and rescued. Then at last all of them could go to the camp.

Melian had at first shared the joy that everyone felt but then she had a nagging feeling that something horrible had happened, because when she had spoken with Gandalv he had told her the same thing as Hepte and Veig; he had been told that his father and brother had been killed along with their parts of the group. Melian was certain of one thing, it hadn't been done to benefit the Dwarves but for some other purpose and although it was unknown to her she was certain that it had to be foul. Boromir noticed that Melian didn't share the joy the others felt and asked her to tell him the reason. She told him that the stories that Hepte and his sons had told her raised a number of questions. Why had they been separated? Why had each group been told, or half told, that the two other had been killed? She didn't tell her brother that she thought Hepte was testing her in order to find out whether he could tell her what had happened to him. But she hadn't pressed him, as she was sure that Hepte would tell her when he was strong enough. She didn't have to wait for long.

The following night Hepte woke from a nightmare, got out of the bed he had been put into although where he got the strength from Melian never found out, knelt before her and begging ´don't do it´ kissed her hand. It took a while for Melian to make him understand who she was and that he was safe, and then he practically collapsed into her arms as he sighed with relief. Melian put him on her lap and asked him what had happened, and was then told that for a while he had been regularly whipped by the Orcs for no apparent reason. Then groups of Orcs had entered the cave where he and his group was kept and took one of them away, when that Dwarf returned he was almost unable to walk. When he was taken the Orcs took him to a nearby chamber where he was raped by each of them. ´I tried to resist but finally one of them had his way with me´ Hepte told her, ´then they whipped me until I promised that I would comply with their wishes. Then they raped me, I don't remember how long it lasted but it felt like ages. I was returned to the others when they had grown bored with me´. This had happened on a number of occasions until the Orcs had put them in the pit that Melian had rescued them from. During this time they were also forced to make tools for the Orcs.

At first Hepte was unable to look Melian in the eye but when he had finished he leaned against Melians arm and it seemed to her that he had been relieved of a great burden. He said to her that he didn't know if his people would accept him, should they find out what had happened but Melian assured him that they would be welcomed, ´they will be so happy to see that you are alive that they will tell you that it wasn't your fault´ Melian said to him.

The following morning the captains of the Army gathered as they had heard that Melian had information for them, and with Hepte on her lap she told them what she had heard. When she had finished, her sister Emeldir and cousin Faelivrin told them that Hepte´s sons had told similar stories. This made everyone furious, and the scouts worked day and night in order to find the hidden Orcexits.

When everything was ready they were able to take Gundabad, which was sacked, while the few prisoners that they took were interrogated about where Azog could be found. It was when they searched for evidence of Azogs whereabouts they found a cave with a locked door. They found the key on one of the Orcs that lay dead in the passage and opened it. To their astonishment and anger they found a group of half-starved Elves, who had been taken captive by the Orcs. Each of them had to be carried out of the Mountain as they were unable to walk to the gates and when they were taken to the camp one of the Elves caught sight of Hepte and looked as if he had seen a ghost. He finally said ´Hepte, but how? They told us that we would never see you again´ and Hepte answered ´they didn't intend it, but we were found and rescued´.

In the following weeks every Orcden in the area was taken, and Dwarves, Elves and Men rescued. They were nursed back to health and strength and finally they were able to return to their peoples. The gold, silver and jewels that were found in the Orcdens was given to the liberated peoples, as recompense for what they had had to endure."

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 12?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 12, Fighting and reinforcements

"One of the things that made Melian utterly furious was when they went through Gundabad and found Thrór´s clothing hanging on the walls in the central cavern. Thráin looked at the clothing and Boromir took it down. The people of Thráin and the people of Huor felt sad and they agreed that the clothes would be sent to Morwen for safekeeping and at the same time letters were brought to the families. Some time after these first battles the messenger returned to the camp with reinforcements, letters from the families and also medicines that Morwen had sent. She confirmed that she had received Thrór´s clothes and would keep them for the time being. The people who had come to give added strength to the Army said that the messenger had told them what had happened and they promised that they would make sure that the Orcs got what they deserved and then some" Melian told them.

The children agreed with that and asked, "what happened to those who were rescued?" Melian answered, "when they were able to return to their peoples they did so. It took a while for them because they had to regain their strength, but when they left they were told that they were welcome in the homes of the Army and that seemed a great comfort for them." Gandalf nodded in agreement.

"I was in Rivendell at the time and everyone there, including Elladan and Elrohir, were amazed to find that large groups of Dwarves, Elves and Men came over the Misty Mountains. When Elrond asked them what had happened they told him that they had been rescued from Orcdens by a Dwarven Army and treated by kindly persons so they could go home. One thing that astonished all of us was that they had travelled together, which is one thing that Elves and Dwarves don't do often. Another thing was that all of them mentioned one person, Melian Golden heart, with great admiration. Elrond said that he would like to meet that person, and his sons asked what had caused the Dwarves to hunt the Orcs in earnest. When they heard about Thrór´s death and the search for his murderer they were astonished but they promised to aid as much as possible. They kept up their pressure on the Orcs and ensured that no information about the Dwarven Army reached the Orcdens further south."

"What happened then?" Thranduil asked and Balin answered

"We fought for the better part of the year but during the wintertime we rested in camps that we made, where we could prepare the following years fighting and where the rescued could recover. I think that the women did a tremendous job gathering herbs, scouting Orcdens and treating the wounded. We all knew that the Orcs were likely to retaliate and some of our groups were attacked but on the whole the Orcs found it hard to take the scouts by surprise." Thranduil agreed with that, saying that none in any of the Free Peoples would trust an Orc, or anything that they might have anything to do with. Bard asked if it was hard to fight the Orcs in their dens and Balin answered "it was very hard because there is very little light in Orcdens, there are lots of passages going in every direction and we didn't know where the passages would lead to. In addition to that, the Orcs fight fiercely when attacked in their own dens so we had our work cut out for us. The people of Huor would search for all exits that the Orcs could use, when they were found they were guarded while part of the Army attacked the Main Gate. When the Orcs tried to get out through their emergency exits we waited for them, we slew them and were able to enter through them. We pinned the Orcs between us and very few were able to escape. But we couldn't stop all of them from escaping as a cornered creature is dangerous to approach and it was inevitable that at least a few of them would get away.

We did also find it increasingly harder to fight the Orcs but we also received reinforcements, both from our own peoples and from the Dwarf-peoples we rescued. One of the first groups to come to us was led by Veig and Gandalv. Their people wanted to get their own back on the Orcs and thought that the best way to do it was to help us. Veig told Melian that there had been such joy when they returned and when their father told their people what had happened, he had been told by all that the persons who should have felt any guilt were the Orcs who had been killed and it wasn't likely that they would have felt any. Veig brought a letter from Hepte where he said to her that she had been right, he had told his people what he had been through and he was still accepted. The people of Hepte were grateful to her and willing to help us."

Thranduil sat straight up and said "a few years before the war started I had sent a group to Rivendell with a message. Orcs attacked them; only two of them got away and were found by Elladan and Elrohir while they were hunting the Orcs. We had no idea what had happened to the others until they suddenly reappeared in Mirkwood. When I asked what had happened they told me that they had kept the Orcs from getting the two youngest but they had all been taken captive by them and forced to work for them. Then they had been rescued by a Dwarven Army and treated by some Mannish women, the chief of who was named Melian Golden heart by all others under her care. I was happy to see them again and then I forgot about it. Now it comes back to my mind." He looked at Balin and said to him "now I understand why some of my people looked as if they saw ghosts when they saw you" and Balin answered

"we found them in one of the Orcdens and brought them out of it. Melian was worried for them, as it was clear that they had been in the clutches of the Orcs for a long time but they recovered and soon they were able to return home. I was surprised to meet them in your Great Hall and I think they were surprised to meet me and Dwalin as well."

"They were" Thranduil answered "and when you got away I suspected that they had something to do with it" but Balin said that they had had nothing to do with the escape of Thórin & Co.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 13?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 13, Rescues and Blackmail

Gandalf smiled when he heard about it. "We heard many tales about daring rescues in Rivendell as they were the ones the groups were most happy to share. But I would like to ask; is it true as we heard one group say, that Melian once entered an Orcden alone in order to rescue a Dwarf group?" Melian, Balin and Dáin nodded, and Melian said

"She mentions it in her book. They were checking a mountain when they found that what looked like a crack was in truth an escape exit where she and a group of friends found two Dwarves who were barely able to walk. They told Melian who gave them food and drink that their group had been taken captive by Orcs and forced to make tools, like pickaxes and other mining implements. When they had no more strength they were simply left and the door had been boarded up. But they had examined the walls immediately when they were brought there so they knew that an unused escape exit went from the chamber, it was opened by the strongest among them and they went to get help. Melian decided that she had to get down there and get the Dwarves out, fearing that it would take too long time to find and remove the boarding of the door so she brought food and drink with her and after giving it to them carried them out one by one." Balin said

"When we came there Melian came out with the last of them and the flames in her eyes spoke clearly about what had happened. Thráin asked her if she couldn't have simply brought food and drink to them, with the door boarded up the Orcs were unlikely to enter but Melian answered that she thought that the heavy boarding would take a very long time to find and remove, and that the rescued didn't have that time. They were truly emaciated and so happy to be outside again."

Melian said, "when the Orcs realised that their attempt at ambushes were not effective they tried blackmail. During a battle they were able to lay their hands on one of the Chieftains named Vit and later they told his son Lit that if he gave the Orcs Melian´s head his father would be returned unharmed. But Lit didn't react as the Orcs had anticipated, he told Melian about it as he was indeed told to in the letter his father had been told to write and they were able to turn the tables on the Orcs. Not only were they able to rescue Vit whom the Orcs had been planning to kill together with his son, they were also able to rescue the Dwarves and Elves who had been held in the den. After that failure the Orcs returned to their ambushes and never again did they try to blackmail anyone." Gandalf listened surprised to the story and said "it wouldn't surprise me if the Dark Lord had a hand in that" and Melian answered

"Melian thought that the plot was far to intelligent for the Orcs to have made it and she wrote in her book ´according to Vit the Orcs seemed to receive instructions from somewhere although he wasn't sure of where they came from. The Orcs would sometimes speak about a Boss who told them what to do and I wonder who it might be´." Melian looked at the children and said, "whoever it was must be a frightening person indeed" and the children shivered.

"What was the objective of the plot?" asked Thranduil and Melian answered

"To cause a rift in the Army, decreasing its effectiveness. Fortunately it didn't work and as it was never repeated I think the person directing the Orcs lost interest in them." Thranduil nodded as he remembered the times when the Dark Lord had won battles through dividing his enemies and causing them to fight among themselves. He had seen it happen and it made him happy to hear that the Dark Lord had for once been foiled in his own game. "That was new to me," Gandalf said and Balin answered

"Both the Elves and Dwarves came from the East and had been on trading journeys when they were taken captive. As soon as they had healed they returned to their homes and a company from the Dwarven people came to aid us." Gandalf nodded in understanding, if they hadn't passed Rivendell on their way home there was no way he could have heard about them at the time. Elrond might have heard about it later but if he wasn't there at the time it would still be unknown to him, as he never stayed long in one place. But it still worried him that the Dark Lord had taken an interest in the matter; it clearly showed that the intention was to sever Rivendell, Lothlorien and Mirkwood. It was most fortunate that it had failed.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 14?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 14, Feasts and gifts

"I am sure that you didn't only fight or prepare for battle," Bard said and Balin answered

"We did do other things also. We had a feast once a month to congratulate all who had their birthdays that month. We would also have feasts during the winter months in order to show the rescued peoples that they were among friends who were happy for them. Melian considered these feasts as part of the healing process and therefore we made sure that we had good food and drink for everyone at them." Dáin added

"One year Thórin, Frerin and Boromir worked together to make a present for Melian. It started as they discussed the story about Túrin and Mîn entered the discussion. Boromir said that his father was certain that had Khîm not been slain by the Outlaws things would have been different. Thórin had looked at Melian who was holding one of the rescued Elves in her arms and said to the others ´if Melian and Emeldir had been there at the time what would have happened?´ and so they started writing and drawing.

They started with the day when Mîm and his sons met Túrin and his band of Outlaws and Khîm was wounded. In their tale Melian and Emeldir was there at the time, gathering herbs for medicines when they met Khîm and Ibun who ran as if Glaurung was after them. Khîm staggered and fell into Melians arms and Melian aided him to a place where he could lay down. She and Emeldir removed the arrow, staunched and stitched the wound and dressed it. When Ibun came back after a while he saw his brother speaking with Melian as Emeldir had been sent to see what was going on. She came back and told them that their father had been taken captive by the Outlaws but that he was unharmed. Then Melian went with Khîm and Ibun so that she would be able to nurse Khîm back to health. When Túrins Outlaws and Mîm came to Amon Rudh they found not only both sons of Mîm there but also an infuriated Melian who told Amborn as she returned the arrow to him that he had best be careful where he aimed his arrows in the future.

From then on the story changed with Melian staying with the Petty dwarves in Amon Rudh. Beleg found when he came that there was a daughter of Men challenging him about what his people had done to the people of Mîm and demanding explanations for it. So Mîm and Beleg were able to make friends. When the Orcs of Morgoth Khîm took Mîm and Ibun captive Khîm and Melian raised the alarm and the Outlaws and Beleg rescued Mîm and Ibun. Túrin and Beleg were then able to persuade Mîm, his sons and Melian to go to Doriath with them and there Thingol was persuaded by Melian the Maia to give wareguild to Mîm for all his slain kinsmen. The book ends with the people of Mîm as Resident Dwarves in Doriath, Túrin reunited with his mother and sister, and as Morgoth realised that he was defeated the release of Húrin who could go to Doriath and join his family."

Melian smiled when the book was mentioned and said "it is called ´the tale of Mîm – as it could have been and Melian wrote in her book that it was one of the gifts that was highly valued by her. It has been passed down through the generations and is now in my possession. I like the illustrations in it, they are made with so much love." Dáin agreed with her and said

"They would sit down, discussing what Melian would have done in a particular situation and what would have happened as a consequence of that." Thranduil thought about it and said

"I think about it at times, all the what-ifs and buts that have come into my thoughts. King Thingol was my kinsman but I am the first to admit that he wasn't the most diplomatic Elf lord in Beleriand. Even before the disaster with the craftsmen of Nogrod he was never as loved by the visiting Dwarves as king Felagund whom I heard many Dwarves speak about while I grew up. I heard at one time that a group of the people of Belegost was constantly staying in Nargothrond, and the Lord of Belegost had to keep a rotation so that all of his people could go there for a time." Balin and Dáin had also heard such stories told by those who descended from Belegost. They had been proud to say "my forefather was dandled on Finrod Felagunds lap" but they had at the time not quite understood the importance of it. With their friendship with the Realm of Mirkwood they now understood that it was of great importance, there had been friendship between Dwarves and Elves and there could be again.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 15?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 15, The Last Battle

"I would be happy if you could read that story for us soon, it sounds like a great story" Bard said and the children agreed with him about it.

Then Melian continued the story. "The Army took every Orcden from Gundabad in the North to the Gladden in the South, rescuing many in the process. But finally they reached the valley of Azanulbizar, the Dimrill Dale that is called Nanduhirion in Elvish. All the Orcs who had escaped from the other dens had made their way there and the Army came after them in hot pursuit. Then the last battle was fought there, a battle so dreadful that Melian wrote afterwards ´I have never been able to hear the battle mentioned without weeping as the horrible memories of it are stirred in my heart. But this has also served as a sign to those who know about it and we have been able to weep together´. Many valiant Dwarves and a number of the people of Huor fell in battle and many more died from their wounds afterwards, in spite of all that Melian and the other women did to treat them. The people of Huor rescued the wounded and fought hard to keep the Orcs away from them.

As the day passed it was clear to Melian that the armies were evenly matched and that it would only take a small push to claim victory. At that moment the shout of Náins Company was heard in the valley and Melian rejoiced, the people of Iron Hills had come at last. Melian spoke briefly with Náin and then they went on after Náin had promised that they would speak more after the battle. ´´They fought their way up the valley and slew everyone in their path with their mattocks while calling out the name Azog as a battle cry. The Orchost crumbled before them like leaves in a hot wind and the divided companies united again and fought more effectively, turning the battle in our favour´ she wrote.

Boromir was with the company of Thráin in the vanguard and had worked hard to treat the wounded so they could be sent down to the camp that Melian had set up. He later told Melian that the company of Náin had reached the Gates of Khazad-Dûm and Náin called out to Azog, challenging him to come out and he came. ´I remembered what Thrórs wraith told you, that Azog was a hideous Orc and I agreed with Thrór when I saw Azog, I have never seen a more foul looking Orc in my life. I was most angered when I heard him speak about beggars at his doors and I think that Náin was angered as well. The bodyguards of Azog attacked Náins Company, and Náin and Azog fought each other. But Náin had fought his way up the better part of the valley and was weary, it also seemed that he was half blind with rage while Azog came fresh to the battle´ Boromir said.

I am certain that if I were to fight my uncles murderer I would be enraged as well," Melian said with tears in her eyes and Balin and Dáin wept also.

"Boromir continued ´Náin aimed a stroke against Azog that would have cut the Orc in half if it had made its mark, but Azog was able to step aside in the last second and he kicked Náins knee so the stroke hit the stone that Azog had stood on, his mattock splintered and he stumbled forward. Before Náin had reached his sword and shield Azog had made a stroke at his neck.´ Melian had been certain that Azog had planned to cut off Náins head but his mail collar withstood the stroke so his head was kept in place. She wrote ´Boromir thought that he was unconscious and placed him so he would be able to breathe, but Azog laughed while he watched it and would have given a howl of triumph but then he saw that his army was shattered and his bodyguards were slain so he tried to escape through the gates of Khazad-Dûm. He would have done so if it hadn't been for Dáin, whom I would name Dáin Azogslayer. He jumped after Azog, slew him on the doorstep of Khazad-Dûm and cut his head off and that was the end of that dreadful creature. In this way all who had been tormented by Azog and his hoard were avenged.´ " Dáin blushed at the name but Bard told him that the name was well given and the children agreed with Bard.

Dáin said "I heard Boromir ask Melian to help him as he didn't want to make my fathers injuries worse, but when Melian examined him and saw that there was nothing to do she said to Boromir ´we can give no aid here. ´So he is dead then? I asked and Melian answered that he was, and showed Boromir and me fathers mail collar. We could see the mark made by Azogs scimitar and Melian said that father's neck had been broken. Then they saw that I held Azogs head and they praised me but I shivered and told them that I had felt most frightened. ´It has never been a part of my definition of valour that the valiant person should never have felt fear Melian answered ´as I see it a valiant person is one who is able to hold his (or her) ground even in great fear." Balin added

"Father and Frerin had fought well and been severely injured. They had protected Thráin and Thórin who were also injured while Boromir treated their injuries as much as he could. I heard Frerin tell Boromir that he was done for and Boromir answered that he wasn't done for yet. But in spite of what Boromir and Melian could do they passed away that evening. Thráin had one eye blinded beyond cure and Melian stitched the eyelid shut, saying that there was no need for our Father to scare everyone with the hole that the eye had left. He also had a leg wound that made him halt and Melian didn't know if it was permanent or temporary. When she treated Thórins injuries she asked him why some had named him Oakenshield, and Thórin said that he had had to use the branch of an oak as a shield and club because his own shield had been cloven and she said that it was a befitting name.

All who could gathered after the battle. Dáin brought Azogs head and Nar put the bag of money that Azog had thrown at him in the mouth of the Orc. Then Thráin asked Melian to put Azogs head on the pole and she did so, spitting him in the eye and telling him that he was the beggar and that he had no more right to lay claim to Khazad-Dûm than she had to say that the was the niece of a Dragon. Then she and Boromir put the pole in place and Melian asked the captains pardon as she had lots of work to do."

Melian said, "when Melian examined Náin at the Gates of Khazad-Dûm she had the feeling that she was being watched by hostile eyes but the person who was looking at her didn't dare to show himself. She was happy to see that Azog had gotten the end he deserved but she was sad as well. She had lost many friends and kinsmen in the battle and lost more during the evening and night. That night was silent, none was able to sing about either the joy of victory or the grief that was still to near. She was also unable to do so and it took a while before she could even start to describe what she had seen but the scenes had been burned into her memory and when she wrote about them, she could describe in detail what she had seen.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 16?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 16, The Day of Pyres

Melian had tears in her eyes when she continued her story. "The following day Thráin stood before the host limping with the leg wound and said ´we have the victory, Khazad-Dûm is ours but the Folk of Durin said to him ´you may be Durin´s Heir but even with one eye you ought to see clearer. We fought this war for vengeance and vengeance we have taken, but it isn't sweet. If it is victory then our hands are too small to hold it´, and Boromir added ´we have also fought for vengeance, to avenge our friend. But it isn't sweet to us either and not even our hands can hold this victory.´ The children of other Fathers said that to them Khazad-Dûm was a hope for treasure. If they couldn't get any rewards then the sooner they returned to their homes the happier they would be." Dáin added

"Finally Thráin turned to me and said ´surely my own kin will not desert me? I said to him ´you are the father of our Folk and we have bled for you, and will again. But we will not enter Khazad-Dûm. You will not enter Khazad-Dûm. I then told him that I had seen Durins Bane in the first chamber and that it was waiting for him. I also told him that a force stronger than ours would be needed and that our Folk will not be able to walk in Khazad-Dûm until then. Melian agreed with me, she told him that she had felt the hostile eyes when she examined my father. ´Your Folk and your son needs you she said and between us we were able to convince him that he shouldn't go there."

Melian said, "So the Army dispersed. But before it could do so they had one final task to do, to bury the fallen and that was a hard task. So many had fallen and it would take time to bury everyone according to custom. To bury all in earth would have been the quickest way but Dwarves don't bury their dead in earth, and to bury them in stone tombs would have taken months. As Melian said in her book ´we didn't have that time. A few Orcs had fled from the valley and even though they wouldn't return in a hurry, they would be back. And if we were still there then things would be disastrous.´ So finally the decision was made to burn the dead rather than leaving them to be eaten by beasts, birds and Carrionorcs. ´They have enough Orcflesh to eat and needn't be given the flesh of our kinsmen´ our foremother said. So after a burial ceremony seldom given in the village the people of Huor threw torches on the pyres and all the fallen were burned. Melian made a list of the fallen in her book and in this list she wrote about how each of them had fallen. There are many details like ´he slew two Orcs at the same time´, ´when one of the Orcs tried to slay his father he slew that Orc but was slain by one who came from behind´ and the marks left by her tears are clearly visible. The fires burned through the night and only then could the survivors start to sing dirges.

The following morning, after the pyres had turned the bodies of the fallen to ashes, the companies went back to their homes. Each Dwarf carried a heavy burden of arms and mail taken from the dead kinsmen before the bodies were placed on the pyres. Before they left the people of Huor told them that they wouldn't tell anyone, other than their kinsmen, what they had done. They also promised all the companies that if they ever needed the aid of the people of Huor they would receive it, and they were also told that they would also be welcome in the village of Huor. The Dwarves who were burned have always been honoured and if a Dwarf says about one of his sires ´he was a burned Dwarf nothing more needs to be said. The fallen from the people of Huor have always been honoured in the village."

Gandalf nodded and said, "The people of Lorien sent word to Rivendell, saying that a number of Orcs had fled Nanduhirion and some of them had tried to enter their forest but they had been slain by the Elves. Those who escaped went south and were never seen again. They also told us that they had seen the smoke from the pyres and heard the dirges sung there. I think that Elrond was relieved to know that it would take a while for the Orcs to return to the Misty Mountains and his sons would be at home a bit more."

Melian said "our foremother wrote in her book that she heard Thráin speak with Thórin Oakenshield at the pole with Azogs head, asking his son whether he would return to the anvil or beg his bread at proud doors, and Thórin replied that he would return to the anvil as the hammer would keep the arms strong until it was time to wield sharper tools again. She commented ´I was relieved to hear that. The head they were standing at had indeed been dearly bought, with the lives of many valiant Dwarves and a number of Men. I almost said to Thráin that the doors of our village aren't proud but I knew that he was thinking about such chieftains as Beleg the Half dragon and therefore I kept my peace.´

The people of Huor went with the people of Thráin to Dunland and were met by Huor and some others there. They were going to Iron Hills and Melian thought it wise to go with them. She didn't know how it had gotten there but somehow Náins mail collar had been found in her pack and she wanted to return it to the father. Grór received the mail collar and the tale of his son's death that Boromir could tell him and he sighed. ´I see that my son fought well. Even though I grieve for him I am proud that he did well before he died´ he said and Boromir answered I am proud that I knew your son. Should my aid be needed I will give it.´ "

The children embraced Balin and Dáin and they wept. "I have always been proud of my name" Náin said "I am even more proud of it now, knowing that my namesake was most valiant" and Fundin agreed with him about it. Thrór said

"Now I understand why you made sure that none of us was born either on the day of the Battle or the Day of Pyres as you have always named the following day. Neither of the days are suitable for feasts and I don't think we would have been able to be happy on any of them" and Melian nodded.

Dáin said "my grandfather knew when we set out that not all of us would return and he had prepared himself for it. But it still hurt him to see our company return so lessened and father's death was a hard blow to his heart. Five years after the battle he passed away peacefully and I became Lord of Iron Hills. Whenever some of our people went on journeys I would tell them that they should go to the people of Huor and that they would be welcome there. When they came back they told me that they had and showed me the gifts they had been given. They had paid for their stay but somehow the money had found its way back into their packs and I told them that this wasn't hard to understand. ´We are their friends and not asked for payment´ I said to them.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 17?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 17, The hunt of the robbers

"When the trading was finished," Melian said, "the people of Huor returned to their village. Morwen who had gone with them wrote in her book ´the Lord looked shaken and sad, the loss of his son a hard blow to his heart even though he was proud of both his son and his grandson. He agreed that his grandson had been a bit too young to be fighting as Dwarves aren't considered Battle ready until they are forty but the losses had meant that they had been forced to send thirty-year olds into battle. In the end it had meant that Azog had been slain and vengeance taken.´

When they returned to the village everyone cheered but they were also sad to see that a number of the children wouldn't return. That evening Melian and Boromir told their people about the war, the battles and all who had been rescued from the Orcdens. When they spoke about the last battle and it's aftermath everyone wept. Huor then said ´we have no need to make any boasts about this. We went in order to get vengeance for what happened to our friend Thrór and we have gotten it.´ The people of the village decided to put two memorials in the graveyard, one for the Dwarves who had fallen and one for the children of the village. It was also decided that if any of the Folks who had been fighting or rescued needed aid, that aid should be given." Thranduil smiled and said

"I think I heard the village of Huor named ´the village of the Half dwarves. Why was that so?" and Melian answered

"When there are men and women who are unsure that they will return home they seek comfort where ever they can. The Men of the village were seen as too close akin to receive such comforts but the Dwarves were able to receive what was given. This had its inevitable consequences and a number of children were born with Dwarven fathers." Bard asked

"What did the people of the village say about that?" and Melian answered

"Such things had happened before, with becoming fathers killed by flash floods. According to custom the parents of the mother adopted the children. But the names of the fathers were always known and when the children asked they were told who they were. As for as I know many of those children still live in the village and everyone honours them."

During the years that followed many trading groups consisting of Dwarves, Elves and Men passed the village. One reason was that many wanted to thank the people of Huor for the aid they had received and they brought gifts that Melian and the others felt that they couldn't refuse. To Melian the most important gift was to see the rescued peoples again and hear that their kinsmen had accepted them. The people of the village was proud to hear that their children had been doing great things during the war and when they were told about the sufferings of the rescued they were very angry. The sight of all the people going through the country attracted a number of robbers who tried to attack the groups. But they hadn't reckoned with the people of the area, they were hunted down and brought to the village of Huor for judgement. That way the robbers soon learned that they weren't able to rob anyone in the area and they soon left, looking for easier pickings elsewhere.

Melian and Emeldir married sons of other chieftains and builded two new villages. By chance six Dwarf groups had at the same time gathered in the village, five of them were on trading journeys and resting in the village of Huor. The people of Thráin had left Dunland as they felt that there were places where they would be welcomer. They had decided to go to the Blue Mountains and make Halls there but while they were travelling they had also decided to visit the village of Huor that they had fond memories of. At the weddings Thráin was one of the witnesses to the woves given and at the feast afterwards he told the newly become husbands that they were indeed fortunate to have married their wives. The Dwarf groups aided the people who were building the new villages and with their aid the villages became well built. As a token of the friendship between the peoples of these villages and the Folk of Thráin the emblems of Durin were carved into the gates as a reminder to the people about the bond. In the centre of the graveyards a memorial to Thrór was placed along with a memorial to the Dwarves who fell in the war."

Balin smiled as he remembered the feasts. "When we came to the village Huor welcomed us and we were given a guesthouse to stay in. We went to the graveyard to see the memorial to Thrór that Thórin Oakenshield had told us about and were astonished to see that our fallen had also been honoured. My brother and I were amazed to find our father mentioned as Fundin the Steadfast. When we asked Boromir about it he answered that they had told their people about all that had happened, they had decided that he could be given no other byname. Everyone honoured us and it was a pleasure for us to help to help Melian and Amandil son of Amlash build the village. When we left Melian told us that we would always be welcome. Finally we came to the Blue Mountain where we started to excavate Halls for ourselves. They weren't as great as the Halls of Erebor but they were ours. We traded our goods and started to be a bit well off. For a few years we had peace there and then disaster struck again."

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 18?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 18, Thráins journey

Thranduil looked at Melian and said "but before you start telling that chapter I have something that I would like to know more about. What happened to Beleg the Half dragon? You said that he was never seen again in the village of Huor." Melian answered

"Five years after the Council where the Half dragon was punished, when the Army was assembling and preparing, Morwen wrote a letter to Melian. In this letter where she wrote about the things going on in the village she wrote the following: ´I thought that you would like to know that the Half dragon has passed away, mourned by none. The Dragon curse caused him to suspect his people for trying to take things from the stores. His family tried to keep him inside when the weather was foul but to no avail. This caused him to catch a string of illnesses that finally took his life. Boromir has taken over as Chieftain and his kinsmen who were driven away by the Half dragon are now returning to aid him.´ " Thranduil and the children thought that it was a good thing even though they felt sad for the young man who had to take up such a heavy responsibility.

"I would like to ask a few things also" Bard added "first of all I would like to know why a man was named after a person who, if the tales speak truly, was his exact opposite."

"They do speak truly" Thranduil answered, "Beleg Cuthalion was a noble and kind Elf, not to mention the best archer in Beleriand. He would weep to hear his name given to such a foul person." Melian agreed with both of them and said

"According to the tale his father had hoped the boy would become as kind and noble as his namesake but his hope was dashed when the dragon curse showed itself in his teens. I have had the theory that the father tried to get a grandson and live so long that he could cut his son from the succession, putting the grandson in his place."

"Secondly I have always wondered about your name and that of your brother, neither of which are common in this area" Bard said. "And in your tale we find one more Melian and two Boromirs. How were they given these names?" Melian smiled and said

"Our mother people regarded queen Melian of Doriath as the example of what a woman should be and a healer in particular; calm so she could cool down the hot blood of her husband at need, knowledgeable in the healing arts and able to give sage advice. Morwen also wrote in her book that a seer told her that her then newborn second daughter would bring more than a thousand gifts to the village, in Elvish that is translated as ´mene anna´ which was turned into Melian. My mother hoped that these abilities would also be given to me so she named me in this manner. As for my brother he was named after our fore uncle whom I have told you about. He and the Halfdragon´s son were named in honour of the valiant Steward Boromir I of Gondor. He proved himself as a great leader of Men and many fathers hoped that their sons would become like him."

Then Thranduil said to Balin "what happened? Were you attacked?" and Balin answered

"No, we weren't attacked in the Halls. We lived in peace in the Blue Mountains and for a while we were able to work and trade. Mostly we were making tools that we traded in the area but we also made jewels, even though we didn't do much of that because we didn't have much of either silver or gold. But when thirty years had passed since we came there we started to notice that Thráin, our Father, was troubled by something although we didn't know what it was. I spoke about it with my uncle Gróin and none of us knew what troubled him or what we could do to help him. All we could do was to watch and wait. I could at times hear him say something about treasures and the Halls of Erebor but I didn't understand what he meant with that. I think that had Gróin been in the Halls when things became serious we would have had a chance to convince him but my uncle was away on a trading journey with his sons, Óin and Glóin, when our Father suddenly gave the Ring of Melian to Thórin for safe keeping and left, taking me and my brother with him in the group of companions."

Thráin looked at Balin and asked, "where did he try to go?" and Balin said

"He tried to go back to Erebor. But for some reason we were followed by misfortune. There were many obstacles in our path, the more we tried to get there the harder it became. Suddenly one evening as we were walking along the outskirts of Mirkwood there was a downpour and we were forced inside the eaves of the forest. We set watches but he wasn't there the following morning. We looked for him for many days and then we had to return to our Halls without him. We passed the village that Melian had built and told her the sad news. We thought that our Father might have escaped from the attackers and made his way to Khazad-Dûm, and Melian promised to go there and look for him. She brought her children with her when she left the village. Before she did she went to the memorial to Thrór and said to him ´I wasn't there when you needed me. I wouldn't let your son come to harm, not if I can help it.´ So we returned to the Blue Mountains and told Thórin that he had to take up the position as Durin´s Heir, at least until his fathers fate was known. He was very sad when he did so."

Thranduil said to Melian "what had happened to your foremother in the years that lay in between?" and Melian answered

"She was working as healer in her village and also received the travelling groups that passed with friendship. They were able to travel in peace there, every robber knew that the people were ever vigilant and could track them down in no time at all. She had sons and daughters and the village prospered." Gandalf agreed with Melian and said

"I came there now and again and I was always welcome where ever I went. I met your foremother and on one occasion I was treated by her." When the others looked at him in surprise he added "there are dangers enough in a forest even when there are no robbers there. I stumbled over a tree root and strained my ankle. I stayed in the village while my ankle healed, and while I did so I also met a number of friends. We spoke with each other about many things; among them we often spoke about what Melian Golden heart had done. When they thanked her for it she said ´I simply did what I had to. When we found you in the Orcdens we simply had to get you out of there.´ I could see that she was proud of being able to help them and they were proud that they were her friends. Many of them said that they had two birthdays and that one of them was the day they were rescued." Gandalf smiled at the memories of sitting in the village, talking with Dwarves, Elves and Men and watching them sitting together in peace, talking about what they had endured.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 19?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: R, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: R

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is R, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 19, The search for Thráin

The children looked shocked and Thráin asked, "Why did he leave the Halls in the Blue Mountains so suddenly, without speaking much with Thórin? I smell mischief here" and Melian answered, "so did our foremother also. She was troubled by the fact that he had left in such a hurry and then she started to see a pattern. When she realised what she had seen as a child, she shuddered. She had never spoken about it when she wrote it down but when she washed Thrór with a cloth in order to take down his temperature a bit, she had seen that he wore a ring on a chain around his neck. He had asked her not to tell anyone about it and said ´it is important although he didn't say why. Now she understood that she had seen one of the Great Rings, one of the Seven, and then she understood what Thrór had meant. It was important that no one knew who had the ring. She also understood why Thrór had spent so much time alone with Thráin, according to Thórin the better part of an hour. Thrór must have used that time to pass on the Ring to his son. That was also the explanation of one question that had haunted her all those years, why had the Orcs tormented him for so long if all they wanted to do was to set an example? Now she understood that the setting of an example wasn't the reason, they had been asking about the Ring, who had it and where it was. That was the reason why Thráin was made to go so quickly, before he had a chance to pass it on to Thórin."

Melian saw that her children looked puzzled and asked them "have I told you about Celebrimbor son of Curufin?" Thrór answered

"You said that he was Narvi´s friend and a great jewel smith". Thranduil smiled when he heard the priorities that the children made; to them it was more important that Celebrimbor had been a Dwarf-friend than that he had made so many beautiful things. Melian continued

"He made friends with a stranger who named himself Annatar, Lord of Gifts, he and the People of the Jewel smiths were taught how to make the Rings of Power. But this Annatar turned out to be none other than Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor. He attacked the people of Eregion and Gil-Galad of Lindon sent his herald Elrond with an army to aid them. They came too late to rescue Celebrimbor and many others, but they joined with Celeborn and the part of the people that he had been able to gather. Still they were hard pressed until the Orcs and foul Men were attacked from behind by the Folk of Durin III and the Elves of Lothlorien." She told them that the united army had found Celebrimbor´s body riddled with Orcarrows and he had also been tormented. Then Thráin asked

"What has this got to do with Thráins disappearance?" Melian answered

"Sauron couldn't find the Three or the Seven and he has always looked for them. He did find the Nine and gave them to Men, and they became ensnared by them. Celebrimbor gave the Seven to the Fathers of the Folks, and Celebrimbor gave the Three to the Elves. No one knows now where they are kept.

Sauron´s aim was to control all the Free Peoples by controlling their Lords but he found out that he was unable to control the Dwarf lords. None has ever been able to do that and because of this he has always tried to take the Rings from their bearers. By this time only one ring was left free and that was the ring that Celebrimbor, according to tales, gave to Durin III. The Dark Lord had found out where the Ring was and he was using the small control he had on it to cause Thráin to leave the Blue Mountains. Melian could only hope that Thráin had been able to hide the Ring somewhere where the Orcs wouldn't look.

Melian knew that she had to find Thráin quickly in order to rescue him from the Dark Lord and his minions. For that reason she gathered as much provisions as she could while also making sure that Balin and his companions were given provisions. She and her children then went to Azanulbizar, and according to her book she found it hard to go up the valley as she heard the voices of the Fallen inside her head. She and her children searched through as much of the passages of Khazad-Dûm as they could, parts of the lower passages were flooded and most probably still are. But they didn't find as much as a single strand of his beard there. Finally after going through the length, breadth and depth of Khazad-Dûm they left via the West Doors that were made by Narvi while Celebrimbor drew the signs and emblems on them.

From there they made their way to Bree, hoping to meet some of the Wandering Folk of Durin and ask them to bring a message to Thórin that his father wasn't in Khazad-Dûm before returning to the village and continuing their search. But to Melians astonishment they found that Thórin and some companions were in Bree when they came there along with Hepte and a group of his people. When they were invited by Thórin to come to the Halls in the Blue Mountains Melian tried to decline in a polite manner, saying that she still had to find Thráin but Thórin told her that he felt in his heart that his father had either escaped, probably making his way to her village, or if the Orcs had taken him captive that they had already killed him. In the end Melian and her children along with Hepte and his people went with Thórin and his companions to the Blue Mountains. Hepte was quite amazed to find that one of Melian´s sons was named after him although he had also been given a more normal Mannish name by his father. To the astonishment of the father they rarely used the names he had given the children, only when they were travelling through Elven realms where their Dwarven names could give them trouble, and that custom has been kept through our mother line. My own Dwarven name is Guthr."

Gandalf nodded and said to them "I was told about Thráins disappearance and like your foremother I went through Khazad-Dûm without finding him there. It made me feel sad and I decided to keep looking for him while I did other errands. I met your foremother on one occasion, we told each other where each had searched but we were unable to find him there. When I did find him it was too late." Melian said

"Our foremother kept searching for him where ever she went until she could no longer travel. It pained her heart that he hadn't come to her village when she returned there and she was forced to continue her search. When she passed away she bequeathed to her children and grandchildren among other things the duty to search for Thráin until they either found him or found proof that he had passed away, and to get vengeance on whoever had taken him captive even if it was the Dark Lord himself. She also told them that it was their solemn duty to help the Folks when they were in need of it and as a token of this she gave the signet rings she had been given to her daughters. The ring of Thrór and the dagger of Grór were given to her eldest daughter named Dis and the other rings went to her other daughters.

When she had done this she suddenly sat up in her bed looking at the door and said ´Thrór, Frerin, how is it that you are here? and then she fell down on the bed. Her children closed her eyes, washed and clad her body and folded her hands on her chest. They had replicas made of the signet rings and put them on her fingers so she could use them to prove her identity in the Halls of Awaiting. When the children left the house a woman, known to be a seer asked them ´who were the Dwarves entering the house and leaving together with Melian? They buried Melian in the graveyard in a stone tomb, made by a Dwarf group who visited the village at the time. They felt sad but were comforted by her children who told them that they would always be welcome to the village. ´Mother told me that she will haunt me if I don't keep this promise Hepte told them and this promise comforted them."

Gandalf asked Melian "how could she be so sure that they would keep their promises?" and Melian answered "apart from making a deathbed request of it which made it an irrefutable duty to them, she had also written it in her book. Her last entry reads ´I know now that my life is reaching it's end, the signs I have seen so often in others I see now in my own body. I am not afraid of death, as I have lived a long and good life, even though it has also had its sad and horrible parts. I have begged all whom I might have harmed to pardon me and I have pardoned all who have harmed me. But I will never forgive the Orcs for what they did to Thrór son of Dáin, my friend. I bequeath to my children and grandchildren the search for Thráin son of Thrór, Lord of Erebor, Durin´s Heir and my friend; and the vengeance on whoever holds him captive, even if it is the Dark Lord himself. If I were to be able to make one request to the Gods it would be to be able to meet Thrór, Frerin, Nain, Fundin and all other friends who have passed away during the years. If I was given the choice, which kindred I want to belong to, I know what my answer would be. "

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 20?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 20, The search continues

"Do you think she was asked that question?" Thórin asked and Gandalf smiled enigmatically. Looking at the young child he said that he didn't know but that it couldn't be ruled out. Dáin nodded and told them that the people of Iron Hills had been there many times along with others and that they had always felt welcomed there. They had seen Melian´s Tomb, on which the text read "Melian Goldenheart Daughter of Huor, Beloved and Missed". The Elves had planted evergreen bushes around it and their flowers have in the summer always given their scent to the area."

When Thráin asked, "What happened then?" Melian said

"Dis took her children with her and became a wandering healer, going from place to place while searching for Thráin everywhere she could think of and then some more places for good measure. Her siblings also searched for him, all except Hepte who took care of the village. In return he organised searches and always asked all visiting groups if they had seen anything that might indicate his whereabouts. At times Dis was asked why it was so important for her to find him and then she answered ´because he is a friend and I wouldn't abandon him.´ I am certain that she would have carried him out of Dol Guldur given half a chance." Gandalf nodded as he had thought so at times as well.

"On one occasion she made her way into southern Mirkwood and in a glade she found an axe covered in what she assumed was Orcblood and also a knife. She cleaned both of them and found that they matched the descriptions that Melian had given of Thráins weapons. She tried to push on but was unable to go any further so she had to go back. She was most worried, Thráin had apparently been able to fight the creatures that were attacking him but they had by the looks of it taken him alive. She wondered why they would do that but found it to be a hopeful sign. If he was still living they had a chance to rescue him. She sent three of her children via Rivendell to Bree where they met Thórin in The Prancing Pony. He was on a trading journey at the time and he was happy to be given them even if he also was worried.

Finally she came to Esgaroth where the people were fighting a fever. Dis and her children were able to treat those who were ill and as the healers of the city were among those who had come down with the fever she was persuaded to remain in Esgaroth. She finally agreed to do that but when she was gathering plants she was always looking for Thráin. The task, and the hunt, was passed on from one generation to the next until it had come to my maternal grandmother Aredhel along with the heirlooms of my mother line. She told my mother and me that the Folk of Durin would return to Erebor, ´then Smaug will be slain and Dale and Erebor restored. That was the reason why my mother and all my aunts remained in Esgaroth, to ensure that there would be healers in the city even after my mother, my siblings, my eldest aunt, her children and I had moved to Dale. Aredhel used to tell me ´the arrival of the Dwarves will be a death knell for Smaug but he will not leave in a peaceful manner. I fear that he will bring death and destruction in his leaving, as he did in his coming. That day you will have to decide which people your heart belongs to and whom you will aid. I could never imagine the price I would have to pay or the pinch I would be put in. But I couldn't act in any other manner." Bard made the suggestion that they would reconvene in the Inn the following day in order to hear the remainder of the story and everyone agreed with him. They had heard many things that they needed to consider but the children were awed by what they now knew about their "uncles". They looked forward to the following morning, when more would be revealed to them.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 21?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 21, Meeting in the Hall of Feasts

The following morning Melian first made her rounds in Erebor to make sure that things were going well with the patients under her care and then went to the Inn where the whole group had gathered. The children were eager to hear what their mother would tell them and asked her "What happened then? Please tell us" and Melian answered

"For me it started on the 17th of September. That night I had a very strange dream and I woke from it with a sense of dread and also knowing what I had to do. In this dream I was walking down a dark passage with very little light and I could feel the dread seeping down the walls as if it was some kind of liquid. All doors were locked save one and I entered through it. I saw an old Dwarf lying in that cell, his arms and legs were bent and I felt angry but at the same time relieved. I knew who he was instantly, the description that my mother had my siblings and me recite until we knew it by heart was accurate with the exception of his injured arms and legs. I wrapped a spare cloak around him and lifting him in my arms I was just opening the door when I woke up. That morning I told my parents that I knew where Thráin was, in Dol Guldur, and that I had to go there. Mother was proud of me but father was most angered."

Bard nodded and said, "Your father was furious, he told me that he didn't want you to go. When I asked him why he didn't simply tell you that you couldn't go, he answered ´because she is keeping her promise and there is nothing I can do to stop it, if I do she will face her foremothers wrath.´ I said to him that things might happen that would make the journey unneeded and he said that he hoped so."

Melian said "I heard mother and father argue about it sometimes during the days that followed. I gathered the supplies I would need: food and drink, healing herbs, cloth for dressing wounds and also a cloak in dwarven size. All my preparations were completed on the 22nd but then father told me to stay and go with him to the great feast that was to be held that evening. To my surprise mother agreed with him and she told me that I would need all my strength in order to face the Necromancer. Some mirth and joy would aid me and give me added strength so in the end I went to the feast with them.

We were halfway through the feast when suddenly there was a clamour at the doors. They were opened and what looked like four Dwarves entered the Hall and one of them was shouting ´I am Thórin son of Thráin son of Thrór, King under the Mountain. I have returned´ and both my mother and I felt very happy. Mother put this ring on my hand securing it with a second ring and told me to show it to him, and to ask the questions." She showed the ring to all of them, which made the children feel awed, and Balin smiled. "I was making my way to the doors where they stood when I heard the Raft elves call them ´vagabond Dwarves who have molested our people´ and I said to myself that I didn't believe that to be the truth. I was certain that they were hiding something.

The Master asked if what the Raft elves said was true and Thórin answered ´it is true that we were wrongfully waylaid by the Elvenking and imprisoned without cause.´ I nodded when he continued to say that neither lock nor bar could keep them from returning to their own. The Master looked unsure of what to do but I knew what I should do at least. I showed Thórin the ring and asked him who had given it, to whom it had been given and why it had been given. When he answered the questions I told him how it had been passed down from mother to daughter until it had reached my mother and greeted them. By then I knew that one of them wasn't a Dwarf but I wasn't sure what kindred he belonged to. I mistook the two young Dwarves with him to be his sons which made them giggle but I said to them that they were so alike that I had been sure their kinship was as I said.

In the meanwhile there was a growing clamour both inside and outside the Hall of Feasts, and after a while the Master decided to yield his chair to Thórin and the others were also given seats at the High Table. It was then he told me to bring the remaining Dwarves into Esgaroth and that I was to take them to the main guesthouse near the harbour. While he said this he gave me the key to the house. ´I will do as you say´ I said to him and also told Thórin where the house lay and how to go there. Together with some others I went to where the rafts were moored."

Gandalf looked at Melian and said "I spoke with Bilbo later and he doesn't remember hearing you asking Thórin any questions" but Melian smiled and said

"Considering the din going on inside the Hall I am certain that a hoard of Oliphaunts would have been able to pass unnoticed. The Master had to all but shout to make himself heard" and Bard nodded in agreement.

Balin smiled as he remembered that evening. "You came to us together with some men who were carrying litters in case they were needed which they fortunately weren't, and the first thing you did was to bow and name yourself to us, then you invited us into Esgaroth. That invitation was one I was happy to accept for all of us and with a hand from you or one of the Men we got to our feet and walked to the bridge and into the city. The people who had gathered in the square greeted us with great cheer, we were given food and drink by them and later we were shown the way to the guesthouse where we found good beds. You treated our bump- and thump-marks, which we needed at the time and examined us to make sure that we weren't injured. Looking at the children he added "your mother was very kind to us and she also astonished everyone by being able to get Bombur on his feet alone, something two men hadn't been able to do. By the looks of it she would have been able to carry him into the city at need. Thórin looked stunned when we told him later."

Bard added "when Melian left the Hall she said to the Raft elves that if she saw them closer than three yards from the guesthouse they would be thrown into the prison for the remainder of their stay. They looked quite shocked and asked me if she meant it. ´She does´ I answered ´so don't try anything´. There was also much singing, both inside and outside the Hall, as people sang the old songs about all that would happen when the King under the Mountain returned. It was for that reason the Master had told Melian to care for all of you and although she was visibly seething she took the task. She was told to make sure that you had everything you needed and promised to do so. She said that she was going to the guesthouse to let some of our people in so they could make beds, light fires and open the windows to let in some fresh air. Everyone was happy to see you but I think that Edrahil was the happiest man in Esgaroth because his daughter would remain in the city for a few more days. When he heard about what had happened he was glad that his daughter didn't have to face the Necromancer but also sad because of what he had heard.

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 22?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K+

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 22, The journey from the Blue Mountains

Melian said, "When Thórin and his companions came to the guesthouse they were smiling. Thórin introduced me to his sister sons Fili and Kili, and to Bilbo Baggins whom he described as a Hobbit from a land to the west. I had never seen a Hobbit before and felt amazed to see him. I asked them if they were well and Thórin said that while he had been bumped and thumped Fili and Kili were unscathed. But Bilbo said that he didn't feel well at all. I examined him and found that he had caught a cold. When I told him he said that it was because he had been floating in the river while holding on to a barrel and had been soaked. ´At this time of year?´ I asked and he agreed that it hadn't been nice at all in the cold water but he hadn't had any choice. I treated his cold and Thórins bump- and thump-marks. Then I asked Fili and Kili if I could examine them also and when I did I found that they were quite well.

That night all of them slept in the largest bedroom that had 20 beds. But none of them slept peacefully save Bilbo. While he slept as a log the others twisted and turned in their beds. When they woke they would say a few words and from what they said, together with the old whip marks I had seen on their backs, I pieced together a picture of what had happened to them. There was mentioning of Orcs, Wargs, Eagles and Spiders; and I understood from the shudders that their encounter with the Eagles had been nice but their encounters with the others hadn't been pleasant. But I also heard them speak about Elves in general and the Elvenking in particular, and what they said didn't give me a nice picture of what had happened. Particularly when they spoke about not knowing where Thórin was and Thórin spoke about not knowing where his companions were. It made me feel quite angry."

Balin said, "I woke up in the middle of the night shivering and there you were. You held my hands and said ´it's all right, they wouldn't get you´ and then you embraced me. I relaxed and went back to sleep."

"The following morning" Melian said "mother came to enable me to get medicines from our store shack on the shore side and to buy food, drink and cloth for clothing. They were delivered to the guesthouse while I was away. I told mother what I had heard and as I suspected the Raft elves of eavesdropping I told her in the only language I was sure of that they wouldn't understand. When I left the house I met the Raft elves in the market square and they tried to make me tell them if I had heard anything but I said that the only thing I had heard was words about dark dungeons. I completed all my errands and went back. When I came back to the guesthouse mother told me that Thórin wanted to speak with me and we went to a room where Thórin was waiting for us."

Balin said "Thórin listened to you while you were speaking about us and understood that he needed to tell you all that had happened. He said to us that he needed to tell you everything and he was sure that you would understand what we had been through."

Melian nodded. "He asked me what I meant when I said that you were lucky to see me and I answered that had I had my own way I would have been on my way to Dol Guldur the previous evening. ´The fortress of the Necromancer´ he said ´why on earth would you go there?´ And I answered that in a dream I had seen his father there and would go there to rescue him. Thórin was amazed when he heard that and answered sadly ´you can give him no aid. Gandalf the Wizard found him there and he was dying.´ ´I have heard about Gandalf´ I said and then I asked him what had caused him and his companions to come to Esgaroth. Thórin told us that he had met you," she said looking at Gandalf "in Bree and that he had invited you to his home. When you came there you had a plan that involved a Hobbit and he didn't understand why at the time. But he and his companions had gone with you to the Shire, to a house called Bag End and there he had met Bilbo Baggins. It was in his house you told them about how you had found Thráin in Dol Guldur. ´Gandalf told us that father was witless and wandering´ Thórin said ´and when we asked him what he was doing there he answered that he was finding things out. He had been given a map and a key, and told to give them to me and he did that. That evening I decided to let Bilbo come with us and we left the Shire the following morning.´

Mother and I wept when we heard what had happened to Thráin and mother said ´if only we had been more thorough´ but Thórin said ´I am sure that all of you did as much as you could.´ Mother remembered that some kinsmen and kinswomen had gone missing during the years that had passed and Thórin said ´I believe that they gave the Necromancer something to think about.´ I agreed with him."

Gandalf nodded. "It was a nasty business and I hardly escaped with my life. I did find him with the injuries that you described and it was clear that he had been tormented. I don't know for how long the torment had lasted but he was in a dreadful shape. If the Necromancer caught your kin he would have been very amazed to hear that there were Men willing to search for a Dwarf. When I met Thórin he said that he felt that he was told to seek me and we discussed many things when we met in the Blue Mountains. It took some doing to persuade Thórin and also Bilbo but finally we were on our way. And what a journey it turned out to be."

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 23?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 23, Meeting Trolls and Elves

Balin smiled while he thought about the day when they had come to Bag End. "Bilbo looked quite astonished when we came to his doorstep but he was very polite to us. Meeting him at the Green Dragon Inn the following day was amusing as well, he had no coat and had to borrow Dvalin´s spare cloak and hood." The children laughed when Balin described Bilbo Baggins to them and even Bard and Thranduil laughed at the image in their minds eyes.

"Was it a good journey?" Thórin asked and Balin answered

"It was a nice journey until we crossed the Last Bridge. It had been raining all day and while we crossed the bridge the sun was setting. When we wondered what to do next we noticed that Gandalf was missing but we simply thought that we would have to wait until he came back. So we made camp in a group of trees that stood nearby where the ground was drier. Suddenly one of the ponies took fright at nothing and bolted straight into the river, taking the supplies it carried with it. Fili and Kili were soaked straight through and nearly drowned when they had managed to get the pony back to the shore and the supplies were lost."

The children shivered, thinking about how wet Fili and Kili must have felt when they stepped on the shore.

"To make matters worse" Balin said "none of us was able to light a fire so we could prepare supper, not even Óin and Glóin who are skilled at it. They kept trying and argued about it when I saw a fire in the distance. All of us wondered what it might be, one never knows in that area and finally Bilbo was sent to take a look and report back.

But instead of Bilbo coming back or signalling, we heard very strange noises. We decided to go and see what was going on and I was sent first. When I came to the fire I saw two Trolls fighting and a third one whacking them. When he saw me he howled but I paid him small head as I was looking for Bilbo. Before I found him I had a sac pulled over me by one of the Trolls, a smelly sac to boot. Bifur and Bofur fought the Trolls as you were told by Melian, but we were all put into sacs by the Trolls save Bilbo who according to Thórin ended up on a thorn bush and then we lay there, uncomfortably close to the fire while the Trolls discussed what to do with us."

Bard commented "when you say ´uncomfortably close´ others would say that they were almost scorched. But your kin is renowned for your hardiness to fire."

Melian nodded and said "Thórin told us that he was the last to come to the glade and was able to fight two of the Trolls but the third put him in the sac. Then the Trolls discussed how they were to cook everyone but as soon as they seemed to have made their minds up they started arguing again. The final argument, Thórin said, was about the colour of his stockings and then it became quiet save for the birds in the trees."

Gandalf smiled when he said that he was scouting ahead when he met friends from Rivendell who had told him that three Trolls had settled in the area and were waylaying strangers. Looking back he had seen the fire and felt that he needed to go back. He had reached the fire to find Bilbo on a thorn bush and the others in sacs, so he had kept the Trolls arguing until dawn when they were turned to stone. The children breathed a sigh of relief when they heard Gandalf tell them how he and Bilbo had released everyone from the sacs.

"We were nearly suffocated by that time" Balin said "and very angry so Bilbo had to tell us twice over what had happened. He told us that the Trolls had caught him as he was trying to pick their pockets and then two of them started to fight, calling each other names. That must have been the noises we heard. Then we followed the Trolls footsteps to their cave and Gandalf opened the door with the key that Bilbo found on the ground. It must have fallen out of the pocket of one of the Trolls. We found food there but also an odd collection of plunder, clothes (not Troll size so they must have come from the people the Trolls had eaten), swords and daggers. Gandalf and Thórin took two of the swords and Bilbo took a dagger, which looked like a short sword on him. Gandalf looked at the swords and said that no Man had made them nor were they made in that area. We ate, slept (we didn't get much sleep that night) and then we went on to Rivendell where we were expected according to Gandalf. He told us about his meeting with the friends from Rivendell and said that we needed to be more careful next time. Thórin thanked him for rescuing all of us."

The children thanked Gandalf as well and he smiled as he accepted their thanks.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 24?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 24, Resting in Rivendell

"It was the clothes that made me feel most sad" Balin said, "Bilbo told us that one of the Trolls had told the others that they had eaten a village and a half between them. That is far to many." The others nodded and Gandalf said, "One is far too many". All of them sat in silence for a while until finally Balin decided to go on with the story. "We followed the road until we came to the Bruinen ford. When we climbed up the eastern bank Bilbo looked at the Misty Mountains for the first time. He reminded me of a child looking at a new toy, the wide-eyed expression on his face almost made me laugh.

From then on white stones, some of them almost covered, marked the road. Gandalf and Thórin were at the head and Gandalf told us that we had to keep to the path, as we would be done for otherwise. Even with the food we had taken from the Troll cave we had little food with us. When we finally found the valley I felt relieved knowing that we would soon be safe. We followed the stairs into the valley and our mood raised the further down we came.

When we heard the Elves singing about us asking us where we were going and reminding us that the ponies needed shoeing among other things, Bilbo looked as if he was hard pressed not to laugh. One of them greeted us and asked if we wanted to stay. I think that Bilbo might have been willing but the rest of us were thinking about supper so we went on until we came to the Last Homely House. Lord Elrond and a group of his people met us at the stairs to the Main Doors and we were welcomed.

During our stay there we told them about the Trolls, they shuddered as they listened and thanked Gandalf afterwards. We were also given advice about the best way to go as we crossed the Misty Mountains. When we went on we felt certain that we would reach the Mountain soon and we sang as we rode."

Gandalf added, "Bilbo, Thórin and I showed Elrond the swords we had taken from the Troll cave. Elrond looked at the scabbards and the swords, and then he told us that the swords had been made in Gondolin for the wars that the Elves of Beleriand had fought against the Orcs. He read and translated the names of the swords that were written in Elven runes on them. Thórins sword has the name Orcrist and mine Glamdring."

Melian nodded and added "Thórin told us that he was told the name of the sword and that it means Goblin cleaver. ´It is a famous blade Lord Elrond told me, and that was proved soon enough although at the time I think infamous would have been a better word. Gandalf now has the sword that Turgon of Gondolin wielded in battle´ and he looked quite amazed when he said that. He asked the Lord of Rivendell how the Trolls had been able to lay their hands on them and was told that they must have plundered other plunderers. It sounded probable to us, after all Trolls attack all that they can take at unawares and wouldn't know noble swords even if they jumped up and hit them on their hard heads. He had promised to use it well and he had done so. ´Elrond then asked me to show him my map and I gave it to him. Right then the new moon had risen and revealed moon letters, telling us that the setting sun on Durin´s Day would show us the keyhole.´ When we nodded and said ´that's the first day of the Dwarves New Year´ Thórin looked happy and told us that he had to tell Elrond that. It was clear that when the Door had been found finding the keyhole would be easy."

"What is Rivendell like?" the children asked and Balin answered

"It is a valley which is filled with peace and calm. Once you have entered you know that you are safe and that no evil can reach you. Lord Elrond builded the Last Homely House as a haven to all save the forces of Evil and no one is turned away from its doors. Thórin said that it was a place where one could take off ones armour until it was time to go on. It was very hard to leave but we had an errand to fulfil so we had to go." Thranduil nodded and said that Balin had used the words he would use in his description. Gandalf agreed with both of them and said to the children that they could learn much in Rivendell both in the library and in the healer's wing where recipes of all sorts of medicines had been gathered. Dis looked as if she would like to go there and Melian said to her that she would have to wait a while, as she was still too young to go.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 25?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 25, Across and into the Misty Mountains

Gandalf said to the children "there are many roads from Rivendell to the Misty Mountains and many paths across them. But you have to go the right road and the right path, because if you don't the best that can happen is that you have to go back to where you started and the worst …" Gandalf didn't finish the sentence but he had no need to, all of them shivered when they thought about the Orcs. "Fortunately Elrond gave us good advice about which road and which path to go" Gandalf continued "and we took them."

Balin said to Gandalf "I saw you speaking with Bilbo one day, he looked a bit sad" and Gandalf answered "Bilbo thought about all the things the people of the Shire were doing and what they would be doing by the time we started to go down again on the other side. I didn't say anything at the time but I knew that the chance that we would get across the mountains without running into Orcs wasn't large. As you know" he said to the children "the Orcs were driven out of the Misty Mountains during the War of Dwarves and Orcs. They stayed away for some years but then they started to sneak back again. By the time we were making this journey they had retaken many of their dens and they were attacking the Elven realms. But we had made it a long way up the mountains when things turned against us."

Balin shivered at the memories. "One day there was a thunderstorm or rather a thunder battle. We lay under an overhanging rock and the rain poured down. The lightning flashes hit the mountaintops around us and we could see Stone giants on the other side of the valley. They were throwing stones at each other and it wasn't nice at all to see them smashing and falling down to the bottom. Then the wind started to blow and we were no longer protected from the rain. All of this combined, the weather and the sights and sounds of the Giants made the ponies nervous, and Thórin said that we faced many dangers. We could be blown off the mountain, swept off by water, hit by lightning or picked up by the Giants and kicked sky-high; and all of these things sounded horrible. Gandalf told him to take us to a safer place, if he knew about any safer place in the area, and Fili and Kili were told to look for one. They were the youngest of us, around 80 years old, and were given such tasks when they couldn't be given to Bilbo. ´There is nothing like looking if you want to find something´ Thórin said to them and that is true. But what you find isn't always what you look for, as we found out later.

To make a long story short Fili and Kili went away and came back quite soon to tell us that they had found a cave that was large enough for all of us, and for the ponies as well. Gandalf asked them if they had searched the cave and they answered that they had, but Gandalf didn't look convinced. But it was decided that we should go there, and after packing we followed them to the place where the entrance was located, which wasn't easy, and we went inside the cave."

Gandalf smiled when he caught the questioning glances the children gave him and answered "when you have travelled as much as I have then you will know that in the mountains, particularly as high up as we were no good cave is unoccupied. They did say that they had searched the cave thoroughly but they weren't away long enough for that. After we had gone through the entrance and the ponies and our gear was inside as well, I lit my staff and searched through all of it. We saw that there were no dark corners in the cave where someone could hide in order to ambush us. But I still didn't allow any fire in the cave, we would have to make do with getting out of our wet clothes, we were thoroughly drenched by the time we got there, and put dry ones on. We lay the wet pieces of clothing on the warm and dry floor, and then we sat in a circle talking about what each of us would do with his part of the treasure when we got it. At the time it didn't look so hard for us to get it. Had things gone according to plan we would have woken the following morning, had breakfast, packed the clothes that would have dried by then and gone on. But things didn't happen that way."

"What happened?" Fili asked and Balin answered

"After we had smoked and talked, Gandalf made our smoke rings dance under the ceiling which was fun to watch, we fell asleep one by one. We found out later that Bilbo was the last of us to fall asleep and that he had horrible dreams about a crack in the wall becoming larger, and the floor rising up so he started falling down into a dark place. All of a sudden I woke up, hearing Bilbo shouting that some thieves were taking the ponies. Before I knew what was going on I was taken by at least six Orcs and carried inside what had looked like a small crack in the wall but turned out to be a door. We were all taken by them save Gandalf."

Gandalf nodded and said "I was wide awake in a splintered second when Bilbo yelled and when the Orcs came to grab me I was able to kill them with a flash".

"So that was the cause of the lightning stroke inside the cave that was followed by a smell of rotten eggs?" Balin said. "I did see a number of Orcs who had been killed before the crack snapped closed, with us on the wrong side of it. There we stood in the dark" Balin said to the children "not knowing where Gandalf was and the Orcs didn't want to wait and find out. So they grabbed us and forced us inside the mountain. It was pitch black and stuffy inside, and we could hear the echoes coming from many passages around us. Then the Orcs started singing, or croaking rather, when we saw the light of a fire in the passage and the song was horrible. At the end of the song they took out whips and started hitting us with them. We ran as fast as we could and some of us were yammering and bleating when we ran into a great cavern."

The children looked at Balin and said "so that is how you got the whip marks mother saw on your backs?" and Balin nodded.

He said to them "they bound our hands behind our backs and linked us together before we were dragged across the cavern to a very ugly Orc with a large head. We saw the ponies huddled together in a corner and Orcs going through our sacs, but we thought more about ourselves than about the ponies. Thórin had been placed at one end of our line and Bilbo at the other, while I was fairly close to Thórin. I looked around at the Orcs who were jeering at us while we went past them. When we came before the Lord of the Cave he looked at us and asked who we were, and one of the Orcs who had brought us there answered ´Dwarves and this´, causing Bilbo to fall to his knees. The Orclord looked straight at Thórin when he asked who we were and what we were doing. He spoke about all things that according to him were likely, among them that we were thieves, spies, friends of the Elves and intent on molesting his people. In the light coming from the fire and torches I could see that Thórin looked worried when he named himself and told the Orc that we had been driven inside the mountain by the downpour, and that we hadn't planned to molest any Orcs. Thórin didn't name his father when he named himself but still the Lord of the Cave used his surname when he said ´I know enough about your Folk´ and threatened to prepare something particularly uncomfortable for him. He had to come up with an answer quickly and told the Lord that we were going to visit our kinsmen on the eastern side of the Misty Mountains.

Then one of the Orcs who had brought us there said that some of them had been killed by a lightning bolt when they ´invited´ us into the mountain, and that Thórin hadn't mentioned the sword the speaker showed the others. They knew it immediately and cursed us. The Orclord rose, shouting orders to his people and went towards Thórin. I thought that we were done for then.

Then all torches went out and the fire was turned into a pillar of blue smoke that hit the ceiling of the cavern. White sparks fell on the Orcs, not a single spark fell on us. They must have been painful because the Orcs howled and cursed, shrieked and skrieked. It sounded as if hundreds of cats and wolves were roasted alive together and they were rolling on the floor; biting, kicking and fighting one another. I had never seen anything like it before. Then we saw a sword with a blue light coming from it and it went straight through the Orclord before it disappeared again. The Orcs who had been standing closest to their Lord fled when they saw the glowing sword. Someone took the chain that linked us all together and said ´follow me´ to us. By then Bilbo had been able to get back on his feet and I had the feeling that I had heard the voice before as we ran into a passage leading from the cavern. We went as fast as Bilbo could trot and that was a quite high speed, but it wasn't fast enough as we were told that we needed to go faster. The torches would be relit soon and then they would see that we had disappeared, and that their Lord was dead. Dori who was closest to Bilbo aided him up on his shoulders, and then we ran faster for a while. The chains clanked and we stumbled at times but we kept running for a long time until we stopped for a while. Then we saw a light coming from Gandalf´s staff and he drew his sword. We were relieved to see him and we would have asked him a lot of questions, but we didn't have the time to ask them. It didn't take long for Gandalf to cut the chains that we were bound with and we had a moment to catch our breath. Gandalf gave back the sword to Thórin, Bilbo´s dagger had been hidden from the Orcs so it was still on him, and after making sure that all of us were there we ran on."

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 26?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 26, And out of them again

The children looked astonished at Gandalf and Frerin asked him "how did you get to the cavern?" Gandalf answered

"I nipped through the crack before it was closed. Then I followed the Orcs and their captives to the cavern and prepared some magic. I unleashed it on the fire and torches, slew the Orclord and told my friends to follow me. When we could make a short break I unbound all of them and they were very grateful. As Balin told you I had rescued Orcrist and gave it back to Thórin, and then we ran on. But it didn't take long before we could hear the Orcs running after us."

Balin added, "If we hadn't been running fast before we were by the time we heard them. Poor Bilbo couldn't keep up the pace, as you know we are able to run very fast when we have to, so we took turns carrying him. After all, we had to make sure that our Burglar reached the Mountain with us. But the Orcs were still gaining on us; they are able to run faster than we are, they had made those passages themselves and they were very angry. Suddenly Gandalf and Thórin fell back, and we heard Gandalf tell Thórin to draw his sword. The Orcs were running at full speed when they turned a corner and found Gandalf and Thórin waiting for them. They didn't like that the least, they cried out ´Biter and Beater´, which are their names for the swords and a number of them were slain before the rest of them fled.

When their footsteps died out we went on and it took a while before they returned to the place of the first fight. When they did they must have put soft shoes on their feet and put out their torches so they could come close to us unseen and unheard. Suddenly Dori who were again carrying Bilbo cried out in surprise and then a group of Orcs, I'm not sure of how many they were, were upon us. Gandalf and Thórin fought with their swords and the rest of us hit everything within our reach. At times it meant that we hit each other but Gandalf´s staff had gone out so we didn't see a thing. Suddenly Gandalf made a blinding flash and the Orcs ran away yelping. He told us to follow him and in the confusion we didn't have the time to make sure that everyone did, we ran until we came to a chamber with an exit going past the guards and out through the door. Then we ran down the road until we came to a small dell, covered by bushes and were able to catch our breath. It was then we found out that Bilbo was missing."

The children gasped and Thrór said "poor Bilbo, I hope that he wasn't caught by the Orcs" looking worried for him. Gandalf shook his head and answered, "fortunately he wasn't. Dori carried him when one of the Orcs grabbed Dori´s legs and tripped him. During the fight Dori had been unable to locate the Hobbit and had been certain that he had followed. We were arguing about what we should do for some time when he suddenly showed up in the dell, having avoided to be spotted by Balin."

Balin blushed and told the children "I have been standing on look-out more times than all of you have had dinner combined and no one had until then been able to creep under my very nose without being spotted. Not even a mouse had been able to do that and there Bilbo got past me unseen and unheard, and Gandalf told me what he thought about a look-out who let people run into them without warning. I had to take off my hood to him as that was very well done.

Then Bilbo told us that he had hit a rock when he fell from Dori´s shoulders and lay unconscious for a while, he didn't know how long it took for him to wake up again. When he did wake up he was in an unknown passage and he followed it until he came to a lake inside the mountain. There he had found a creature that he called ´Gollum´ who challenged him to a game of Riddles. He won that game but the creature tried to kill him. He had to run up the passage and in the dark ´Gollum´ had passed him without seeing him. He thought that Bilbo knew the way out and went to the passage in order to block it. Finally Bilbo was able to jump over him and run to the exit. There had been lots of guards there and he had been forced to dodge them. He had also lost buttons when he went through the door crack in order to get out and we could see that his waistcoat and shirt were torn. But he had made it out of the mountain and then he had been able to find us, sneak quietly and carefully past me and go down into the dell.

When he had finished his story Gandalf told us for the second time and Bilbo for the first how he had been able to rescue us. When he had finished he said that we had to go on. The Orcs would no doubt come after us and they can smell a trail for hours. Bilbo didn't sound happy when he was told how many days we had spent inside the mountains, we hadn't eaten anything for three days, but it was important for us to get away from there. ´It's better to lose supper than to become supper´ Gandalf told Bilbo and we went on down the road. After a while we came to a place where there had been a landslide and we went down into the remains of it. It didn't take long before we were in the middle of a cauldron of boulders going down the mountainside. Finally we were able to find shelter in some trees that stood on the side of the mountain. The good part of it was that the Orcs would have a hard time finding our trail among the loose stones and couldn't go down unheard. Then we turned south in order to get away from the Orcden as soon as possible. But we soon found out that we weren't out of the woods yet."

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 27?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is R, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 27, The Warg-glade

Balin smiled when he remembered that evening and said to the children "we walked south through the forest on the eastern foothills of the Misty Mountains going in a brisk pace as we were heading to a certain place but we felt no rush. The evening light waned and darkness fell but still we kept going. When we had gone through the night for a while Bilbo asked if we were going much further, he said among other things that his stomach felt like an empty sack and Gandalf answered that we didn't have far to go. Hobbits can eat six meals a day if they can get them."

Gandalf said to the children "Bilbo´s grandfather Gerontius Took, who was a friend of mine invited me to the party he had when he celebrated his 120th birthday. He had invited all his relations and a large number of his friends and it was a joyous occasion. The party began at 10am and from that hour the Hobbits ate and drank continually through the day. There were regular meals marked by the fact that everyone was sitting down together, at other times they were standing in groups, eating and drinking together."

The children couldn't help laughing and Thráin said to Balin "now I understand what you mean when you say that we eat like Hobbits".

Balin agreed with the children and then he continued with the story. "We kept walking for a while and suddenly we came to a glade. At first it felt like any other glade but suddenly we felt that the glade wasn't a nice place and then we heard Wolves howling in the distance, closing in on us. Bilbo asked if we had escaped the Orcs only to be eaten by Wolves and Gandalf told us to get into the trees as quickly as we could. Soon all of us were safely sitting on a tree branch each, save Bilbo who couldn't reach up to the branches of any of the trees. Finally Thórin told Dori to give Bilbo a hand up and he was rescued from the horrible Wargs who came into the clearing. It didn't take long for the Wargs to surround the trees we sat in while most of them sat in a circle and listened to their chieftain. It was horrible to listen to him and I saw that Bilbo almost fell out off his tree at times."

Gandalf added, "The chieftain of the Wargs told his people that they were to attack a village of Woodmen together with the Orcs. He couldn't understand why the Orcs were late and why we were there, he told them that we could be spies sent by the Woodmen and he had no intention to let us get away so we could warn them. When he said to them that the Orcs were on their way I was certain that we hadn't escaped them. In the meanwhile I had no intention to let the Wargs have their own way. I took pinecones from the tree I sat in, started fires in them and threw them down on the Wargs. As each of them fell some of them fell on the ground sending sparks on the Wargs and others hit the Wargs. One of the pinecones hit the Wargchieftain on the nose and he bit some of the others because he became angered and frightened.

A number of the Wargs caught fire and they spread the fire to dry trees in the area when they went searching for water. Suddenly the Orcs came, they had heard the howling and the clamour from a distance and wondered if a battle was going on. When they found out they decided to encircle us with fire and they put dry leaves and ferns around the stems of the trees. They sang about us, if it can be called singing, and danced around the fire. Finally the fire caught in the trunks of the trees.

But when I thought that we had met our end and I was about to fly down on the Orcs I was caught by the Lord of the Eagles, whom I told about the others and they were rescued by some of his people while the others attacked the Orcs and Wargs, scattering them and making sure that their plan was foiled."

Balin nodded and said "Dori and Bilbo were the last to be rescued from the trees, we climbed as high up in the trees as we could and the Eagles picked us up. Soon after Dori and Bilbo were rescued the trees we had been sitting in were ablaze, so we had indeed been rescued in the nick of time."

"Where did they take you?" Frerin asked and Balin answered

"The Eagles took us to a place they called ´the High Shelf´ and we found out that the Lord of the Eagles and Gandalf were friends. The Eagle lord was happy that he had been able to stop any evil plans that the Orcs and Wargs had and he was also happy to come to Gandalf´s aid but he wouldn't send his people to the villages of Men. The Lord said that they would be firing arrows at his people suspecting them to attack their sheep but Gandalf asked the Lord to take us to another safe place. In the meanwhile the Eagles provided us with food and fuel, which we prepared for all of us. Gandalf started the fire because Óin and Glóin had lost their tinderboxes but it didn't take long for us to eat our fill and we went to sleep, knowing that we were safe and that we would soon be out of reach for the Orcs."

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 28?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K+

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is R, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 28, Beorn the Skin changer

Gandalf smiled when he saw the relief on the children's faces and when Fili asked him how he had made friends with the Eagle lord, Gandalf answered "some years before the journey to Erebor I was riding from the Woodland Realm to Rivendell when I heard the sound of wings and a young, very worried Eagle landed before me. He asked me to come with him and I mounted him. He took me to the High Shelf where I met their Lord who had an arrow in his chest. I removed the arrow and healed the wound, afterwards he was most thankful to me and we became friends."

The children nodded when they heard the story, understanding that friends can come in many shapes including that of an Eagle.

"The following morning" Balin said "we had a breakfast consisting of cold rabbit, hare and mutton. Afterwards we mounted 15 Eagles and they brought us to a safe place away from the mountains. We bid the Lord farewell and promised to repay him for his aid if ever we were able to do so. After a while we came to the place the Eagles were making for, a cliff in the middle of the Anduin that Gandalf later told us was called The Carrock, and they landed one by one so we could dismount them. When all of us stood on the top of the cliff they bid us farewell in the manner of their kind and Gandalf answered in the same manner. We went down from the top using a set of steps that had been hewn into the cliff and we came down to the bottom where we found a cave with a pebbly floor. We gathered in the cave talking about what to do next and it was then we were told by Gandalf that he would soon leave us."

The children looked shocked and amazed at Gandalf and Balin laughed at the sight. "That is how we reacted also, we were shocked and some of us even wept. We pleaded with him; offering him gold, silver and jewels from the Dragon hoard but he wouldn't be moved. He did tell us that he wasn't leaving that instant, all of us needed aid and he knew a person who could give it to us, a Man named Beorn who was described as a skin changer. He could become an appalling enemy if he was angered (and he was easily angered Gandalf said) but a trusty friend if we rubbed him the right way. When Bilbo heard that he was a skin changer he thought that he was a furrier but Gandalf told him that he isn't. He literally changes skin; at times he is a large Man with black hair and beard and at other times he is a great black Bear. He lives largely of milk and honey, as he never eats any meat. He has wonderful animals in his service that are his friends. Having no choice we decided to go to his house.

We crossed the river on steppingstones that we found there carrying Bilbo as we crossed, and then walked almost all day until we came to a group of tall, ancient Oaks forming a belt around a thorny hedge. Then Gandalf told us that we should wait there until he called or whistled; when he did we were to come in pairs with five minutes between each pair. As Bombur was so large he was to be the last to come, and he didn't like that at all. When Gandalf had said this he brought Bilbo with him while he spoke of a Gate that he knew was near.

While we waited for Gandalf to send a message to us Thórin divided our group into pairs. When that was done to everyone's satisfaction save Bombur´s, we heard Gandalf whistle the first time and Thórin and Dori left, after Thórin had warned us that we needed to keep the five minute interval between the pairs. Dwalin and I formed the third pair and when we arrived to the porch where the rest were sitting we bowed very deeply in order to be as polite as we could, smiling and nodding while we waved our hoods before our knees. Finally Beorn laughed and told us that he only wanted our names, and that we were to sit down and stop prattling. We sat straight down on the floor after telling him our names and listened to Gandalf who was telling the tale of how we had come to be captured by the Orcs and how we had made it away from them. While Gandalf told the story one more pair interrupted him every five minutes until finally the last three of us; Bifur, Bofur and Bombur came and we had gathered on Beorn´s porch. By the time Gandalf had finished his story the sun was setting, and Beorn invited us all to a meal which we gratefully accepted."

When the children looked questioningly at Gandalf he said to them "I had to make the story interesting enough for Beorn to accept all fifteen of us in his house so I divided the story into parts of five minutes. When each part ended a new pair would come and disturb Beorn, keeping his interest in the story while the story stopped him from sending the Dwarves away. When I had finished Beorn told me that we deserved a meal for our effort, and we were served a great supper during which Beorn´s Dogs waited on us. We hadn't had that kind of supper since we left the Last Homely House and while we ate Beorn told us about the animals living in the area. He also told us that if we left his house before sunrise it was at our own peril, so we promised him to stay inside."

Balin nodded and added, "after the meal we told Beorn stories of our own but he seemed to be nodding off, disinterested in the things we told him about. Suddenly the door closed and Gandalf reminded us that we weren't to go outside until sunrise. We sat by the fire singing many songs and smoking while Gandalf gave varying shapes and colours to our smoke rings, sending them dancing around the ceiling and finally out through the smoke hole. They must have looked strange to anyone watching them on the outside. Finally we all went to bed finding beds made for us and we slept through the night. Bilbo told us the following morning that he had woken during the night and had heard strange sounds outside the house. He had wondered who were making the sounds, covered in the bed, as he was afraid that we were to be eaten and finally fell asleep again.

All of us save Bilbo woke up at sunrise and were given breakfast on the porch by the Dogs. After we had eaten Gandalf told us to wake Bilbo who wouldn't be happy if we ate all the food and wait in the house until he returned to us. We didn't see either Beorn or Gandalf that day, Gandalf returned while we were eating supper and he refused to answer any of our questions until he had eaten and had a pipe."

The children looked puzzled and Gandalf explained to them that he had been walking through the forest all day without a bite, he needed to eat supper and have a calming smoke before he would answer the questions that he was being showered with at his arrival. When he was willing to speak he told them that he had followed Beorn´s tracks over the river and through the forest on the other side. The tracks were pointing in the direction of the wargglade. "Bilbo thought that Beorn would be bringing the Orcs and Wargs to the house" Gandalf said "but I told him that his mind was sleepy and ordered him to go to bed, which he did while the rest of us sat around the fire singing and smoking. He fell asleep quickly as I remember it. Finally the rest of us went to bed as well."

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 29?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K+

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is R, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 29, Walking through Mirkwood

Balin smiled as he looked at the eager children. "Beorn returned the following morning in a jovial mood, unlike the mood he had been in when he left. He joked with Bilbo about his fear of being eaten and when we had breakfast with him he told funny stories that had all of us howling with laughter. We exchanged glances, wondering what had made his mood so jolly and he must have seen it because he told us that he had found the glade where we met the Orcs and Wargs. The fir trees we had been sitting in had been reduced to blackened stumps, which showed him that this part of Gandalf´s story was true. But he had also caught an Orc and a Warg who told him that their peoples were very angry for their losses and looking for us, as they suspected that the Woodmen had sheltered us they would most likely soon be attacked. He also showed us the Orchead and the Wargskin he had placed outside his fence as a warning to others of their kind to stay away.

Gandalf now told him where we were going and why, and Beorn aided us. Not only with food, bows, arrows and water skins but he also lended ponies to us so we could go to the eaves of Mirkwood quickly. Beorn told us that the path we had intended to use was also used by Orcs and we wanted to stay clear of them, also that the eastern end was disused and turned into swamps we would be unable to pass. Instead he told us to go to a small path that lay to the north of his house and we took that advice. Gandalf borrowed a horse and we loaded the food and other supplies we were given on our mounts. After a good midday meal we mounted the ponies and horse, said goodbye to Beorn and left his house.

When we came to the Forest gate we spent the night near it and the following morning Gandalf told us again that he would leave us. He reminded us that Bilbo would come with us but none of us was happy about it. Bilbo looked at the forest and asked if we couldn't go around it but Gandalf answered that to go around the forest would take us through greater danger, either near the Goblin infested Grey Mountains or through the area near Dol Guldur and that neither road was safe."

The children nodded and shivered, neither place sounded nice and they agreed with Gandalf.

"We had to send the ponies back" Balin said to the children "and we sent greetings of thanks to Beorn with them. Before he left us Gandalf reminded us that we had to stay on the path, in fact he said so twice, no doubt because he wanted the last word. Then we took our packs and water skins that we had filled in a well near the Forest gate, put them on our backs and went into Mirkwood."

"What was it like to go there?" Frerin asked and Balin answered

"It was like going through a shaded room, during the days we had very little light and at night it was pitch dark. We heard and saw animals as we passed and at night we could see eyes watching us, which we didn't like at all. We tried to light fires but that only made it worse, with all the moths that were attracted to the light and the bats that came to feast on them. But the worst thing was the spider webs, they were so large and we wondered what kind of Spiders would be able to make them.

We had also been told to stay out of the water of the Dark River and not to drink it, which was good because when we arrived there our water supplies were running low so we would have drunk and filled the water skins there otherwise. Bilbo helped us when he found a boat on the other side of the river that Fili, Kili, Óin and Glóin were able to get over to our side. All of us crossed the river dry save Bombur, when he left the boat he was knocked into the water by a hart. We got him out of the water but he had fallen asleep when he was back on dry land and we couldn't wake him up. We had to carry him several days, which meant that our speed became slower. That in turn meant that we ran out of food and water. We didn't intend to attack your people" he said glaring at Thranduil "all we wanted was to beg for some food and drink and then we would be on our way, but for some reason they simply scattered when we tried to approach. Three times we did that and the third time we were caught by the Spiders. The only ones who escaped were Bilbo and Thórin. Bilbo rescued us from their bundles but we didn't find out where Thórin was for some time."

Thranduil had regarded Melian and now he said to her "you have always been wary of me and stayed as far from me as you could. Now I would like to ask why you have done that?" Melian glared at him and said,

"What would you have said if I had accused you of being responsible for what happened to Khîm and Ibun, the sons of Mîm of Amon Rudh?"

"What has that to do with it?" Thranduil asked puzzled and Melian answered

"It has a lot to do with it".

"Everyone knows that Khîm was killed by one of Túrins Outlaws and Ibun was tormented to death by Orcs, neither the first nor the last to meet that fate" Thranduil said and Melian answered

"it is also well known, or ought to be, that the fate of king Thingol is a matter between the people of Doriath and the people of Tumunzahar, the people of Khazad-Dûm had nothing to do with it". Melian used the dwarven place names with only a slight accent. "Thórin told me that your servants had said to him that he and his people were responsible for that, not to mention that they dragged him through the forest as if he was a felled deer. To add insult to injury, Thórin told me that he got the impression that they did so at your orders."

Thranduil looked quite astonished when he said "I only told them to bring the Dwarves to the Castle so I could speak with them, I didn't order any of those things. Why didn't he tell me about it?"

"Would you have believed him?" Melian retorted and when the King didn't answer she continued, "He didn't believe that you would have done that. Add to that your own reputation and it becomes easy to understand why he didn't say anything about the Quest or the treasure to you."

Balin added "did you order your men to bring us to you as quick as may be? We were ill, sick and weary from the spider poison, not to mention that we hadn't had a bite to eat or anything to drink for three days and yet we were forced to walk as fast as we could. Not that they kept it constant but still …" His eyes still flashed at the memory. "We were bound and blindfolded as they brought us inside your Castle and into the Throne room" he continued "but there was one thing they didn't know. Bilbo had escaped their attention and was following us."

Thranduil looked sad when he heard what Melian and Balin had to say, and finally he said, "I am very sorry. When the reports came I made the mistake to assume that you were attacking them and I could have chosen my words more carefully. I think they were guided by the way I spoke, not by what I said. Small wonder that you looked so angry when your blindfold was removed." Balin nodded and said

"I felt very angry, not to mention worried for Thórin as we didn't know where he was."

The children looked puzzled and finally Thrór said, "How on earth could Bilbo rescue all of you from the Spiders? And why didn't the Elves see him?" Balin said to the children

"Bilbo was able to come to the Spider nest unseen and unheard. Suddenly stones started to hit the Spiders and we could hear Bilbo singing songs about them in order to make them angry at him. After a while I could hear another thump followed by laughter and Filis angry question to Bilbo what he was laughing at. Fili and Bilbo were able to get some of us out of their bundles but then the Spiders came back. Bilbo guarded the branch so they couldn´t come that way while those who were already out of their bundles cut the rest of us out of them but they tried to get around us. They were also able to lay their claws on Bombur who lay on the ground but Bilbo jumped down on them and rescued him a second time. Then he told us to follow him out of the tree and we did in order to get away from them.

We fought against the Spiders until Bilbo said that he would draw them off while we went in the other direction. I was quite surprised when Bilbo suddenly disappeared and the others were just as astonished as me but then we heard his voice again, as he taunted the Spiders and threw more stones at them. We formed a knot and using lots of stones were able to break through their line and walk towards a glade that lay in that direction. We still had to fight them a few times but then Bilbo reappeared, telling us to move on and let him fight them, which he did until they left in order to return to their nest."

The children looked astonished when they heard Balin tell them about the escape from the Spiders and Balin said "we asked Bilbo how he could disappear like that and he told us about the ring he had found in the Orctunnel. He told us the story of how he escaped from Gollum with the Ring in its proper place and we all thanked him. He had shown that he was clever and brave besides having the ring but he couldn't answer our most important questions, where are we? How do we get out of Mirkwood? And where is Thórin?

When the Elves suddenly came out before us Bilbo put on his ring and stepped aside before the Elves came close enough to see how many we were. That way he escaped them and followed us into the Castle. When we had been unbound and the blindfolds removed the King started to ask questions about where we came from and where we were going but we didn't tell him about it and finally he ordered his men to put us in the dungeons. He also told them to give us food and drink but none of us was to be let out until at least one of us was willing to answer his questions. He didn't tell us that Thórin was there also, it was Bilbo who found that out and told the rest of us."

Gandalf reminded Balin of his meeting with the rescued Elves and Balin answered smiling "when the blindfold was removed from my eyes I heard a gasp. My eyes became adjusted to the light and I saw that some of the Elves who stood in the Throne room looked familiar. When I had been put in my cell they came to me, not only with food and drink but also to say that they were sorry, they hadn't been able to calm their friends and kin down. The Main Healer also came to examine me and give me medicines so I could eat and drink. She came every day for a few days in order to help me fight the spider poison and after that the Elves that I had befriended came now and then to speak with me, asking me what had happened since we parted ways and telling me what had happened to them."

The children looked at Balin and asked him how they were able to escape and Balin told them that Bilbo had helped them. "He found all our cells with Thórin´s cell as the last one and gave us all a message from Thórin. We were certain that Bilbo would be able to find a way to get us out of there and one evening he came and opened the door to my cell. Somehow he had been able to get hold of the keys to the cells and used them to open the doors. When we were outside he closed and locked them and we followed him, not entirely soundless as we found it hard to move about in the passages. Finally we came to Thórin´s cell and he came out, looking happy to see us again. He told Bilbo that he was as clever as Gandalf had said he was and then asked what we were to do next. Bilbo told us what he had planned and after some discussion we followed him, first to a room where we found two Elves sleeping and Bilbo returned the keys to one of them, then to the storerooms that he had found. There were many empty barrels, casks and tubs there so it didn't take long for us to find a cask each and get into it. Bilbo padded them with straw as much as he could but we could still expect quite a bumpy ride.

When all of us save Bilbo was inside the casks and the lids were back on them a group of Elves came down, woke the Butler and asked him what he had been doing. When they started to move the empty barrels they found waiting for them but they also found that some of them were quite heavy and told the Butler, Galion, that he had put full barrels among the empty ones but he told them to get on with the job and they did. That way all of us got out of the castle but we weren't out of the woods yet. The Raft elves said that some of the barrels lay deeper in the water than the others and we were only able to go on because they didn't have the time to open them. So we were able to escape from Mirkwood but what would happen next was unknown to us."

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 30?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K+

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 30, Some rest

The children were angry when they heard what had happened to their "uncles", a title they gave all members of Thórin & Co. Gandalf and Dáin exchanged amused glances as they saw Thranduil looking sadly at the children and Bard looked as if he now understood some things better. In the meanwhile Balin told the children that the Elves hadn't deliberately harmed them, they had been alarmed by the groups sudden appearance and many of them had apologised later.

"We were in the casks and tubs two days" Balin said "and in the evening of the second day Thórin and Bilbo helped us out of them on the shore near Laketown. The rest of that story has already been told." The children nodded and then Bard said to Melian

"Small wonders that you gave the Raft elves a cold shoulder. But I am sure Thórin & Co. enjoyed your treatment of them."

"We did" Balin answered, "particularly Bilbo who received medicines for his head cold. Three days he remained in bed, sneezing and coughing, and even after those days he was unable to give such eloquent thank-you speeches as Hobbits have a habit of giving. All he could say was ´thag you bery buck´ and that isn't much as speeches go." All of them nodded, particularly Gandalf who had been present at Hobbit parties and knew how longwinded the speeches could become at times.

Melian said to the children "during the time they stayed in Laketown there was always a crowd around the guesthouse, they were singing lots of songs and cheering as soon as one Dwarf could be seen in the windows. Some of the persons who were singing made me feel puzzled, they had as far as I knew never paid much heed of the songs and tales about Dale that could be heard in Laketown but now they made a great effort to appear friendly. Thórin sometimes gave them less than polite names when they were out of earshot and mother said that they reminded her of supplicants outside a King's Castle, wanting to ask favours of him. I am sure that the Master of Esgaroth had something to do with it."

Bard nodded and said "he did have something to do with it, he never said anything outright about it but he had his ways of making his feelings known. He thought about how his city would prosper as trade increased and resumed with Dale, Erebor and Mirkwood. He wasn't filled with any greed at the time but it did make him susceptible to the Dragon illness, as his actions later would prove."

Balin smiled when he said "in a few days we had recuperated, the thump- and bump-marks disappeared quickly with the aid of the salves that Melian put on them and she also made sure that we received clothing in our proper colours. After a fortnight Thórin decided that he had to ask the Master for aid, as we needed to go on to Erebor. Melian offered to go with us but Thórin declined the offer, even though he did ask her to come quickly in case her aid was needed. The Master was most willing to help us and when we left we had food and other supplies with us on the boats. A group of Men were going overland to a meeting place a bit up the Running River with ponies that would take us the last leg of our journey. I got the feeling that the Master was happy to see us leave."

Both Bard and Melian nodded in agreement and Bard said, "He was happy to see you go. All work had come to a standstill in the city and he wanted things to return to normal as soon as possible, something they couldn't do while you remained there."

Gandalf said to Melian "what did your father say when you told him that you didn't have to go to Dol Guldur?" and Melian answered

"I think he had mixed feelings about it. Relief, because I didn't have to go to that dreadful place but also sadness, he said that no person deserved to be treated in such a manner."

Thranduil nodded and said "when the Raft elves returned they told me that they had seen Thórin & Co. and the group now had fourteen persons, a Hobbit had somehow been added to their number and a lot of the townspeople assumed he had something to do with the escape even if they didn't know how it had been done. They did mention that Melian, the young healer who had been told to care for them must have been told what had happened because her glares could as they put it ´put a foot of ice on Mount Doom´. Now that I knew where you were going I sent some people to keep an eye on the Mountain and inform me of anything that happened there."

Melian answered "the raft with the Elves and Thórin & Co. appeared during the same day and I saw the thirteen opened casks and tubs so I was sure they had come inside them. What I wasn't sure of how Bilbo had been able to move about in your castle without being seen but I saw that he held a ring of gold at times. Thórin told me that it made Bilbo invisible but I thought that there may be other things that the ring could make also and my mother agreed with me. We also agreed that we wouldn't mention it to anyone because we feared that any mention of it might put Bilbo in danger. A lot of our neighbours also put two and two together."

TBC


	31. Chapter 31

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 31?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K+

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 31, The Dragon attacks

"Were you happy when you left Laketown?" Dis asked Balin who answered

"I was very happy, we were going back to our home. The rest of us were also happy with the exception of Bilbo, he looked worried as I remember it." Melian nodded and said

"He told me that he had seen the Mountain and it had been frowning at him. I think he feared that the Dragon was sitting on the Mountaintop."

"What were you doing after Thórin and Co. had left?" Gandalf asked Melian who answered

"I was going back to the usual work and life returned to normal, just as the Master wished it to do. Many of my patients were curious to hear about Thórin & Co. and others asked if I thought they would be able to slay the Dragon. My grandmother, mother and I sometimes discussed what we would do when Dale could be rebuilt and Erebor had been retaken. Grandmother said that the Dragon wouldn't leave us in peace so we took the books and scrolls about healing, as well as the precious books that had gone through the family for generations to the small house on the shore where we prepared medicines. Making large amounts of medicines means having fires going through the night and the Law of Esgaroth makes it illegal to have large fires going in the city after nightfall. In a city with wooden houses one has to be careful with fires as they can spread quickly and ruin most, if not all, of the houses." Bard nodded, he remembered the signal that was blown every evening that meant that the cooking fires had to be put out.

Balin sighed at the memories and said, "We came to the meeting place that we had agreed upon with the Men bringing the ponies and after spending the night there we packed as much as possible while storing the remainder in a tent. When we came to the edge of the desolated area that Smaug had created around the Mountain both Thórin and I sighed, we remembered the flowering grooves that had been so carefully tended by the Men of Dale but now we could only see blackened stumps. Not to mention that the area was quiet, no animals could stay near the Dragon, as they would be eaten on sight. We couldn't make camp within sight of the Front Door because the Dragon would have attacked it but I, Fili, Kili and Bilbo went to take a look at it. I felt sad when I saw the ruins of Dale, so many of my childhoods happier memories were connected to the houses of Dale and they had been reduced to heaps of stones. Followed by Crows who gave us rude names we went back to the others.

Finding the back door was the first task and it took a while but Bilbo, Fili and Kili found it. Then we tried to open the door, now that I think back it seams like we had all forgotten that we needed to wait for Durins Day and then the keyhole would be revealed. When the day finally came and we found the keyhole we felt that the Mountain would soon be ours. Bilbo went into the Mountain and I followed him a bit so I could call for help if needed. He came back with a cup and we all looked at it but then Smaug woke up. The sounds of his fury were frightening and we were lucky to escape inside the mountain with most of our supplies but the ponies bolted and we didn't expect to see them again. The following night Smaug smashed the entrance to pieces and blocked the door so we couldn't get out that way. Then he left and we didn't know what happened to him for a few days."

Melian smiled when she thought about the day the Dragon had come to Esgaroth and said "that day everyone I saw spoke about the light on the Mountain that had been seen by the night guards and the meaning of it, some of them thought that it was some sort of signal fire made by the Dwarves but I wasn't sure of it. A fire has to be quite large to be seen from Esgaroth, even if one takes into account that the Mountain is quite high and can't be closed quickly so the fire growing and fading didn't make sense to me. In the evening my mother and I were making cough syrup, we knew that winter would come soon and colds would come with it so we would need large amounts of the syrup. My siblings were at home with father, which proved to be a good thing. Suddenly a fire was coming closer and at first I thought it was a forest fire but then we saw that it was the Dragon, coming in a great speed and spreading its fire around. We heard the signals that meant that the bridges had been cut and understood that we couldn't get back to the town so we decided to stay where we were. ´It is better not to be seen by Smaug, he cares not who he eats´ mother said and I agreed with her reluctantly.

So I stood in the shadow of the house and looked in the direction of the town. To see the large shape that was Smaug sometimes illuminated by his fire was a truly frightening sight. I shook when I saw the Dragon sending his fire towards the houses of the town, knowing that father and my siblings were in one of them. Even mother looked scared and that made me feel even more frightened because I thought nothing could scare her. It was a relief to see that our warriors were still there, keeping the Dragon at bay but we knew that it wouldn't last long. And it didn't, soon enough we could see houses falling to pieces sending the fire to the nearby buildings. We thought that we wouldn't see the townspeople again.

What angered me and mother was to see the Master hiding in his gilded boat, he was the one who should be in command of the defence of the city and he was abandoning it. Small wonder that so many of the warriors abandoned their posts and Smaug´s fire could spread unchecked. There was only one place in the city that was defended, we could see the arrows going up there and that told us that Bard was still in the town."

The children looked at Bard who said, "Unlike the Master I felt that I had to remain and fight Smaug. I kept my men at their posts as long as I could but when they were out of arrows I had to let them go. When I only had one arrow left I nocked it and then a Thrush came to me, telling me that Smaug had a bare patch on his chest and advised me to aim the arrow towards it. When the Dragon returned I saw the moonbeams bouncing off the diamonds on Smaugs chest and the dark patch. I sent the arrow towards that patch and it went into the Dragon, piercing the heart of the beast. The death shriek of the Dragon was the most horrible sound I had ever heard and then he fell, straight down on Esgaroth. The Dragon's body and the waves his thrashing caused destroyed what the fire hadn't destroyed. In a few seconds the town was reduced to a heap of timber on the bottom of the lake."

Melian nodded in agreement. "It was horrible to hear that sound and watch Smaug falling from the sky. Where the town had been we saw a lot of waves and then, as the waves settled, mist was gathering on the water. It was then I remembered what my grandmother had said, that the Dragon would cause grief also in his leaving. We knew for certain that Smaug was dead and we also knew that he had left grief in his wake. It took a while before the mist had dissolved and then we could see the boats on the water, filled with the better part of the population of Laketown. Some of them were injured, both from the fire and also from house beams that had been flying around. Others had been caught in the houses when the town floundered. To my relief and my mother's my father, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents were alive though some of them were scorched. We were so happy to see them that when father said to us that our house had been burned mother simply said ´houses can be rebuilt, lives can not´ and hugged him.

We were quite annoyed to hear many persons complaining that their houses had been ruined and their treasures spread about on the lake bottom, they couldn't see that the better part of the population was still alive, that the fields and cattle hadn't been damaged and the woods were still there. Mother grumbled under her breath when suddenly someone reminded the others that if everyone had remained on their posts the Dragon would have been kept at bay longer and that the Master had been the first to flee and not the last, as he should have been. Mother and I, my maternal aunts and their daughters were busy treating the injured and didn't have time to say anything but a lot of people were praising Bard and said that he should have been King of Esgaroth. The Master objected to their words but everyone showed him that they were fed up with him.

Suddenly Bard came back, he had jumped from the town into the lake at the last second and had escaped the debris that had been scattered about. Now that he was back the Master couldn't give him any foul names so he looked for the next person he could shift the blame onto, and Thórin & Co. were conveniently absent. The Master gave you all sorts of foul names and I was just about to protest against them when Bard almost caused my heart to stop." She looked at Balin and said, "He reminded us that you had probably met the Dragon first and it would be a waste of effort to curse you. I understood what he meant, that the Dragon had probably killed you all and I would have wept if I had had the time. As it was I had many patients to care for and no time for mourning. My mother saw me and told me ´don't pull your beard yet, the first tidings are seldom truthful´. So we kept working and I hoped you had escaped Smaug even if the chance was small."

Bard nodded and said to Melian "I saw that you were close to tears but I had no time to calm you, there was so much to do. There were a few small houses and shacks on the shore and they had to be used as shelter for the injured. The rest of us had to sleep outside them and this caused a lot of complaints until I told them that if they were to have the few beds that could be found the injured would have to sleep on the ground and that stopped their complaints. The Master turned everyone's attention to the Mountain and the treasure that was supposed to be found there, and I must admit that I also gave it some thought. Not because I wanted it for myself" he said with a glance to Balin and Dáin "but because I knew that with it I would be able to rebuild both Esgaroth and Dale. The Master had found a small tent that he took in order to sleep in it and some of the others also had tents, but most of us didn't have anything to sleep in other than our clothes. I had to act and did so, but always in the Master's name. The following day I sent messengers to Thranduil, telling him what had happened and asking for aid. We needed aid in order to put up huts in time for the approaching winter. As it was many fell ill during the following days, some of them from grief and others because they had been sprayed with cold water from the lake. Many of them passed away during the following months."

TBC


	32. Chapter 32

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 32?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 32, Gathering at Erebor

Melian sighed when she thought of that dreadful night. "We had a lot to do then," she said. "The dead that floated onto the shore had to be buried, the injured had to be treated and everyone had to be sheltered and fed. The only good thing was that I was too tired to dream when I went to bed; I went out like a light and slept until awoken. I still worried though and when I treated those who had been scorched I wondered if that had become your fate also.

A few days after the messengers returned in the company of some Elves bringing rafts. There was food and tents on the rafts, and they also told us that their King was coming. I remembered what Thórin had told me about him, it was as if I could hear his voice in my heart and the news didn't please me at all. But I knew that the people needed the aid the people of Mirkwood brought so I promised myself that I wouldn't cause anything to happen that would cause that aid to be withdrawn. For that reason I kept away from Thranduil as much as I could without seeming rude and it seemed as if that drew him to me. He did get along well with the Master though and they had a lot to speak about, the people of the town had to be sheltered before winter set in and that wasn't so far off."

Thranduil nodded. "You greeted me politely when we met but you said as little as possible to me and I wondered why. Then I heard that Thórin and Co. had been under your care during their stay in Laketown, I didn't know what they had said to you but I thought that it hadn't been nice at all. I wanted to prove that I had been a good host but you didn't seem to believe what I said. You did work well with my people though and when Bard said that he wanted to bring you to Erebor I didn't object to that, I thought that I would be able to prove my point there."

"How did it feel when you went to Erebor?" Dis asked and Melian answered

"I wanted to go there and at the same time I feared what I might find. Bard told me that I needed to go, I needed to see with my own eyes how it was and in hindsight I agree with him. It is always better to know the truth, even if it hurts."

Balin smiled when he remembered the day when they had seen Melian again. "You looked so relieved when you saw us, it was clear that you had feared the worst had happened to us. When you came later you brought medicines and treated our scorch marks, while you also told us what had happened in Laketown. Thórin looked angry when he heard the way we had been described in Laketown and your comment that the Master had wanted someone to shift the blame onto didn't help matters. When the messenger came Thórin wondered if he had been one of those who had accused us for the attack Smaug made, I am sure that is one of the reasons Thórin put an arrow in his shield."

Bard nodded as he remembered the day. "The messenger looked pale when he returned to us and showed the arrow, now that I think about it I wonder if I shouldn't have asked Melian to speak with him about the matter. If I had there is a chance that things had gone differently. But I didn't and for that reason things almost became violent." All of them nodded when they thought about the peril they had almost come into.

Thrór looked at Gandalf and asked, "What were you doing in the meanwhile?" Gandalf smiled and said, "The White Council had decided that we had to force the Necromancer to leave Dol Guldur, the council members went there together with a host from Mirkwood and forced the Orcs to leave together with their Master." Looking at Melian he added, "if you had come you would have been caught in the fray and that would have been bad, your help was more needed where it was given. We were hard put to it but we succeeded in the end. It was at about that time I heard rumours of the goings-on near Erebor and decided to go there. I hoped I would be able to stop a disaster from happening."

Dáin nodded when he remembered the events. "I was in council when I heard that a Raven had come to Iron Hills from Erebor with important tidings. When we heard his message everyone cheered, we had finally retaken our home. Those who had come from Erebor were eager to go back there, they were sure that there would be a lot of work repairing the mess Smaug had left but the thought of going home was very appealing to all of them. Then we heard about the threat to our Father and his companions, we decided immediately to assemble a host and leave for Erebor in two days time. It took us two weeks to go from Iron Hills to Erebor, we had lots of supplies with us and still we kept a great pace. But we felt that time was of the essence." He couldn't help smiling when he saw the astonished looks the children gave him and told them that Dwarves are able to carry heavy loads and march at great speed while doing that.

"In the meanwhile" Melian continued, "I was very worried. I didn't like the way things were going and I feared that it might go badly. I also realised what my grandmother had meant, I had to decide where my allegiance lay and whom I should aid. It was hard for me; at the same time I felt bonds to the Folk of Durin and the people of Laketown. All I could hope for was that something would happen to make the battle I feared unneeded. When Gandalf came he said that things were brewing and I wondered what he meant. To see Bilbo almost thrown off the wall was frightening and I didn't understand the reason for it, but I think Thórin felt hemmed in and surrounded. Then Dáin and his people arrived and things came to a head, there was almost a battle but suddenly Gandalf stopped the fighting and told everyone that Orcs and Wargs were coming. Bolg son of Azog led them, Gandalf said and the names meant little to the Men and Elves who were there but I felt scared. I was certain that Dáin would be in danger so I ran to the Gate and told Thórin & Co. what was happening before I returned to the camp. I felt happy when Dáin entered the camp because then I knew that the battle I had feared wasn't going to happen even if there would be a battle. Then I would be able to serve both Erebor and Laketown."

Dáin nodded. "You greeted me warmly when we met. ´Hail Dáin Azogslayer son of Náin the Valiant´ you said to be and continued ´now my heart is whole again´. I was amazed to be so warmly greeted and I could see that the others looked as amazed as I felt. When we took council together it was clear that we needed to put aside our quarrels in order to fight the foe that was approaching. To my amazement two young men came to me, introduced themselves as Boromir and Hathaldir, and told me that their sister had asked them to become my bodyguards. My own bodyguards felt slighted but I told them that the presence of the young Men was a sign of friendship. We took up our positions and waited for the foes to come. We didn't have to wait long for that to happen.

TBC


	33. Chapter 33

Title: A tale about friendship, Part 33/33

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 33, The Battle of Five Armies

"Why did the Orcs come?" Thrór asked. Gandalf laughed and said

"Not for my benefit, although it did help unify the Free Peoples. They had become very angry when they found their Lord and a lot of their kin killed by the Dwarves and me, so they gathered their Army around Gundabad. When they heard that Smaug had been killed, they decided to come here and get the treasure while it was unguarded, which caused them to come hard on the heels of Dáin and his men. As you know, Orcs are the foes of all and their appearance caused the assembled armies to unite against them and the Wargs. That is the reason the battle is called "the Battle of Five Armies".

The children could see that the adults looked very sad and asked, "How was the battle?"

"Horrible" Melian answered and added "the Orcs were very fierce when they fought against us and the Wargs were even more so. It didn't help matters when the Orcs also came from the Mountain, attacking those who were on the spurs, but suddenly we heard a horn, a great shout and the sounds of stones falling. Within seconds Thórin & Co. were seen running towards the Orcs and Thórin shouted, calling all to him. By the sounds many did as he said but I had my hands full by then. Some of the wounded were already coming to the hospital that we had put up together, the care of the others would have to wait until we could get to them or the battle ended, whichever came first. When I thought all was lost we received aid from unexpected sources, the Eagles from the Misty Mountains came first followed by Beorn the Skin changer. I heard a friend calling my name, telling me to come out and when I did Beorn stood there in bear shape. He was holding Thórin in his arms and handed him to me. I brought him inside the tent in order to treat his wounds, they were many and severe so I knew he had little chance to survive but I was determined to do all I could to rescue him.

Suddenly I could hear a great shout filling the valley and one of the Elves came in looking very happy. She told me that Beorn had killed Bolg, who had been literally pulled apart by the great bear and the Orcs were in retreat. The warriors gave chase and made sure that the Orcs couldn't find any holes to hide in, while the stretcher bearers went out with healers looking for wounded. We had to leave the dead where they were, as we didn't have the time to bury them and needed to concentrate on the living. My brother Boromir came in and asked me to put a bandage on his arm, an orkich scimitar had cut off his right hand but he didn't think the weapon had been poisoned. He also told me that Hathaldir had fallen, along with Fili, Kili and a good many others. I felt sad but didn't have the time to mourn with so many wounded that needed treatment. One of the things I promised myself was that I would do everything in my power to rescue Thórins life; it felt as if I had failed his father and I wasn't going to fail him as well. At first it also looked as if I might be doing just that, Thórin regained consciousness and was able to speak with me and Gandalf."

Gandalf nodded and said "we had many things to speak about but most of all we worried about Bilbo, for some reason he had gone missing and none of us knew where he was. Thórin said that he had something to tell Bilbo and he needed to do it soon. Melian had to leave us alone at times in order to treat other wounded and on one of these occasions Thórin told me that Melian did her best to treat his wounds, ´if I don't pull through Melian is blameless, because she really does all she can for me´ he said and I agreed with him. He asked me for some paper, a pen and some ink so he could write a letter to Melian. When he had written and sealed it he gave it to me, telling me to give Melian the letter if he didn't survive and I promised to do that.

Bard said to the children "we hunted the Orcs and Wargs, driving them into the river or into Mirkwood where I am sure the Spiders took care of a good deal of them. Most of the Orcs perished that day, which is the reason why you have never heard about them before. All the remaining Orcs appear to be in hiding but I am sure they will come back sooner or later, when they do we'll have to be ready for them." The others nodded in agreement.

Gandalf said, "Thórin had appeared to recover but during the night he took a turn for the worse. Melian hadn't been able to remove all the Orcpoison from the wounds and the remainder, small as it was, was doing it's worst. Fortunately one of the Men found Bilbo and brought him to the tent where Thórin and I was which meant that they were able to talk with each other about all that had happened. Then Thórin passed away and Melian was almost devastated, but I told her that she had done all that she could and that all healers lose patients. She finally agreed with me but she was still sad. ´I have known about him all my life but I have only known him truly for a short time´ she said to me."

Dáin said to the children "when Thórin, Fili and Kili had passed away I had to take up the kingship under the Mountain; not to mention the title of Father of our Folk and that was a title I hadn't wanted but I had to do it. There was a meeting that day where Bard, Gandalf, Thranduil and I made agreements about trade and help in the repairs that were needed in both Esgaroth and Dale. We also agreed to be friends and let bygones be bygones, even if I had a hard time convincing Thórins companions to agree with me. But they finally did that and I told them that they could send for their families so they could join them."

Melian nodded. "Most of the fallen were buried in mass graves as they couldn't be identified but their kin could bury those who were still recognisable. Thórin, Fili and Kili were buried inside the Mountain and it was there I was given the letter Thórin had written to me. I still read it at times, even though it always causes me to weep." She handed the letter to the children and they thought it was very nice, Thórin told her in the letter ´you are a kind person and I have the feeling that many are waiting for your kindness. I will send your regards to my kin and I am sure that they agree with me.´ When they handed the letter back to their mother they said that they agreed with what he had written.

Melian said to the children "Dáin asked me to stay in Erebor and help those who were cleaning up and redecorating in the Mountain. Smaug had slimed and greased a good deal of the passages, every passage he was able to get into he had gone into and the remainder he had sent his fires and fumes into. There was a real danger that some of them would be injured and most of the dwarven healers were going back to their homes. Father was asked for permission and he answered that he preferred that I would be in Erebor. ´It is safer there than it would be around Dol Guldur he said and was happy to give me permission to stay here.

Quite soon after the battle those who hailed from Dale returned to rebuild the city with the aid of the dwarven craftsmen who had come from many mansions, another group had gone to Esgaroth and were aiding the Men there alongside the Elves of Mirkwood. Between them the craftsmen were able to rebuild the cities and when that work was finished my mother and my oldest aunt brought their families to Dale, leaving my other aunts in Esgaroth with their families. We have lived in Dale ever since, even if some people say that I live in Erebor as much as I live in Dale. So now I have told you the story of the friendship between our family and the Dwarves."

Melian looked at her children and wondered what they were thinking but even she was surprised when they turned to Balin and Dáin, asking them if they could call of the companions of Thórin, as well as Dáin, uncle. Balin smiled and said to them ´that means that you have to call our children cousin´ but the children said that it was an honour for them to do so. Thranduil looked quite surprised but Bard said to him ´we use the word uncle and aunt not only about kin but also as an endearment. I guess that they mean it as a bit of both.´ Gandalf smiled and said "so that is the reason why I couldn't make you tell me what you knew about the matter, you only did so when Thórin said that you could".

"I had made a promise and I was going to keep it" Melian answered. Finally all of them rose, toasted to their friendship and promised that they would always aid each other.

The End


End file.
